Ericsson has announced the appointment of Katherine Ainley, a former senior BT executive, as its new CEO for the UK and Ireland.
Ainley joins Ericsson as the company intensifies its 5G strategy. She will take over from John Griffin, who will return to his previous role as country manager for Ericsson Ireland.
On her appointment, Ainley said:
“Ericsson is at the forefront of 5G deployment around the world, playing an especially critical role here in the UK and Ireland where the technology is so important to the economic ambitions for both countries.
I am honoured and excited to be joining as CEO in February and look forward to leading Ericsson’s accelerated network deployment and opening up 5G as an exciting innovation platform for the future in partnership with all mobile network operators.”
Ericsson aims to upgrade 20,000 network sites to 5G by 2024. The company has previously stated that its UK rollout is expected to create hundreds of jobs as the network expansion progresses.
Arun Bansal, President and Head of Ericsson Europe and Latin America, added:
“With 5G primed to bring societal benefits to the UK as well as an estimated £15bn in additional economic growth from industries like manufacturing, construction and agriculture, Katherine will be a key part of our 5G journey, bringing a wealth of industry experience to the role.
I look forward to welcoming her to our team as we build on our leading position in the UK.”
Ainley’s background includes leadership roles such as CEO of Tikit and Managing Director of Ventures in Enterprise. She is scheduled to join Ericsson UK and Ireland effective 1 January 2021.
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