Telecom equipment maker Nokia Siemens Networks announced the departure
of its chief financial officer Marco Schroeter, a close confidant of a
Siemens executive who criticised the joint venture's massive job cuts in
Germany.
Schroeter was known to be close to Siemens CFO Joe Kaeser,
who was quoted in a German paper last year as saying that NSN should
have talked to German labour leaders before cutting jobs there.
NSN
gave no reason for the departure, effective immediately, except to say
it was part of a company transformation. It appointed chief operating
officer Samih Elhage as successor.
Officials at the joint venture
owners, Siemens and Finland's Nokia, were not immediately available for
comment. NSN is led by Rajeev Suri in Finland.
The equipment maker
has shown signs of a turnaround in recent quarters, helped by a massive
restructuring drive last year that cut around 20,500 out of 74,000
jobs.
Nokia and Siemens have been looking to exit the joint
venture through a buyout or public offering. Analysts expect a decision
in the next few months.
Elhage joined NSN in March 2012, and has experience in private equity and management consulting, NSN said.
© Thomson Reuters 2013