Who is Rajeev Suri?
Rajeev Suri is the new Indian-born, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nokia. He has been working for Nokia since 1995, donning many hats in the past 20 years.
When was he born?
He was born in India on October 10 1967.
Where was he raised?
Suri was raised for most of his childhood in Kuwait.
What is his educational background?
Rajeev Suri is one of the rare breed of CEOs without a MBA or Post-Graduate degree. He is a graduate from Manipal Institute of Technology, whose alumni includes the Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Where did he work before Nokia?
After completing his Bachelor in Engineering in Electronics and Telecommunications, he went on to work for the RPG group, the Church gate group in Nigeria, ICL (India) and eventually Nokia.
What has been his most important contribution to Nokia?
He was named as the head of the Nokia Services and Networks division (NSN) in 2009. He undertook drastic restructuring, which eventually led this division to contribute about half of the company’s revenue. The restructuring involved laying-off about 17,000 jobs, which was a highly controversial move but one that paid of brilliantly for the company. His involvement led to one of the biggest turnarounds in the history of technology industry.
Where has he lived?
Rajeev has lived in seven countries including India, Kuwait, UK, Germany, Nigeria, Singapore and Finland, where he currently resides with his wife and two sons Ankit and Anish.
What are his interests?
He is a fitness buff, spending most of his free time at the gym. He loves music and is an avid reader.
The appointment as CEO:
Suri will begin his role of CEO on the May 1, 2014, finally ending the seven-month long search for the replacement for Stephen Elop.
Stephen Elop returned to his former employers namely Microsoft, after Nokia sold its iconic handset-unit to them for $7.9 billion. Suri is said to be a strategist with innovative ideas for growth and results.