Google Cloud, Ericsson shuffles executive leadership, add new business groups

Umesh Vemuri, a 10-year veteran of Google who served as general manager of strategic projects and general manager of global strategic initiatives at Google Cloud, was elevated to lead the global strategic customers & industries division. In his new role, Vemuri will look to build partnerships with enterprise customers to leverage Google services like Cloud, Ads, Maps, and Assistant. He is also directed to expand its industry offerings for priority fields like healthcare and life sciences, telecoms, manufacturing, and logistics.

ZDNet says Vemuri will serve under Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian. It also notes that under Kurian’s industry-focused strategy, Google Cloud has seen significant business growth with a 44 percent increase in revenue in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 2021.

And while Vemuri takes on a new role, Lori Mitchell-Keller, Google Cloud’s global leader of industry solutions, will move on to other opportunities outside of Google.

Ericsson merges and creates cloud business units

Swedish telecom Ericsson announced a significant rearrangement of its group structure and executive leadership centered around its cloud computing strategy and an emphasis on private wireless networking.

The company says it will merge its business area digital services and business area managed services units to form a business area cloud software and services unit. Ericsson says the combined unit will look to capitalize on the convergence of cloud, software and services, invest in R&D, increase cloud-native expertise, and build its combined offerings for automation and AI for service delivery.

Per Narvinger, the current head of product area networks within the business area networks unit, is appointed as the senior vice president and head of business area cloud software and services unit and will join the executive team. Jan Karlsson, the current head of business area digital services, will leave the executive team and instead work for the Global Network Platform. Peter Laurin, head of business area managed services, will leave Ericsson.

“Through the new Business Area Cloud Software and Services we provide solutions that will help our customers automate the increasingly complex networks for cost advantages and speed to market. By combining the two business areas we can coordinate our investments in orchestration and AI solutions leveraging insight from our network operations. This will allow us to remain a technology leader in a constantly evolving market. I look forward to working with Per as we take the next steps in reaching Ericsson’s growth ambitions,”  says Börje Ekholm, CEO of Ericsson.

Ericsson will also create a business area enterprise wireless solutions unit by combining Cradlepoint and Dedicated Networks to meet the needs of enterprises and create a dedicated go-to-market organization for enterprise customers including leveraging the established relationship with service providers. It will seek to build on Ericsson’s growth with Cradlepoint as 5G coverage increases on the US C-band and the launch of Ericsson Private 5G (EP5G) in certain markets.

George Mulhern, the current Cradlepoint CEO, is chosen to be the senior vice president and head of business area enterprise wireless solutions and will become a member of the Ericsson executive team. Ericsson says Åsa Tamsons will continue as senior vice president and head of business area technologies & new businesses.

The telecom will form a group function global operations by combining various support functions across its sourcing, IT, digital transformation, group sales, real estate and the operations functions of the people and finance functions to run global operations more effectively and consistently. Group function global operations will be led by Moti Gyamlani, who is also appointed senior vice president. Gyamlani is currently the head of group sourcing. Ekholm says, “By creating this function, we will be able to better serve the needs of our customers and better support our people, making us more agile and more competitive.”

The company also will see current executive vice president and head of the Europe and Latin America market area Arun Bansal step down for other opportunities. Ericsson says the acting head of the role will be announced separately.

The new group structure will take place from June 1, 2022, according to Ericsson.

Ekholm concludes by saying that Ericsson aims for a long-term goal of exceeding the growth of the market within two to three years and attaining an EBITA margin of 15 to 18 percent for the Ericsson Group.

Article Topics

5G  |  cloud  |  Cradlepoint  |  Ericson  |  Google Cloud  |  networking  |  private wireless