HELSINKI, Finland, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

HMD global Oy ("HMD"), the exclusive global licensee of the Nokia brand for mobile phones and tablets, has appointed Pekka Rantala as Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately. Rantala is the former CEO of Rovio Entertainment (the creator of "Angry Birds"), and SVP of Global Marketing at Nokia.

HMD is a new company that has been founded to create a full range of Nokia-branded smart phones, feature phones and tablets, and Rantala will lead their return to the global consumer market. His first priority is to recruit a world class team of marketers, brand specialists, and communicators to engage global mobile phone users.

Arto Nummela, CEO of HMD global, said:

"Pekka has an important mission to rejuvenate the Nokia brand in mobile phones. He is an experienced consumer marketer who knows how to run global operations and teams, and is passionate about the Nokia brand. Branding has become a critical differentiator in mobile phones, and 96% of global mobile phone users are familiar with the Nokia brand, our unique asset. We know people around the world are excited about a new wave of Nokia phones, and we are working hard to create a beautiful range of Nokia-branded devices that people will love."  

Pekka Rantala said:

"There are very few opportunities like this, to work with a global brand with the power to touch hundreds of millions of people every day. It is a privilege to work with this unique brand, to engage with the millions of dedicated Nokia phone fans around the world and create a generation of new ones. We are going to bring together a new team of talented people who can build something incredible." 

Rantala spent seventeen years in Nokia's mobile phone business. A marketing specialist he has served across sales, marketing and operations roles, latterly as Senior Vice President for Global Marketing. He then spent several years in the fast moving consumer goods industry, before becoming CEO of Rovio Entertainment, best known as the creator of "Angry Birds". He has most recently served as Chairman of Jot Automation, a supplier of services to the global electronics industry.

Notes to Editors  

HMD has sole use of the Nokia brand on mobile phones (smartphones and feature phones) and tablets worldwide for the next decade. HMD's Nokia-branded smartphones and tablets will run on the Android operating system, uniting one of the world's iconic mobile brands with the leading mobile software and app development community.

HMD intends to leverage and grow Nokia's global brand reach, delivering beautifully designed, high quality products to people all over the world in line with Nokia's brand promise. HMD intends to invest over USD 500 million over the next three years to support the global marketing of Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets.

HMD's Nokia-branded devices will be manufactured and distributed worldwide by FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Foxconn. HMD has full operational control over sales, marketing and distribution of its Nokia-branded devices, with exclusive access to the pre-eminent global sales and distribution network being acquired by FIH from Microsoft. HMD will make further announcements about its plans and product roadmaps in due course.

About HMD global 

Registered and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, HMD is a new private venture founded to create a new generation of Nokia-branded mobile devices. HMD will be run by a group of experienced industry leaders, including CEO-designate Arto Nummela, who previously held senior roles at Nokia and is currently the head of Microsoft's Mobile Devices business for Greater Asia, Middle East and Africa as well as Microsoft's global Feature Phones business, and president-designate Florian Seiche, who is currently Senior Vice President for Europe Sales and Marketing at Microsoft Mobile, and previously held key roles at Nokia, HTC and other global brands. http://www.hmdglobal.com 

SOURCE HMD global