Sony Ericsson selects next president, appoints Howard Stringer chairman of the board
It's out with the old, in with the new over at Sony Ericsson as it tries to revamp both its image and its lineup in the face of stiff competition, weak financials, and an unfocused platform strategy. President Hideki Komiyama (pictured left) intends to retire at the end of the year, and stepping up to fill his shoes will be the current head of Ericsson Silicon Valley, Bert Nordberg (right). To get the dude up to speed, he'll become co-president as of September 1 and take over sole control of the operation on October 15. Speaking of October 15, that's also the date that Sir Howard Stringer -- yes, the one and only chairman and CEO of Sony -- will take over the chairmanship of Sony Ericsson's executive board from outgoing Ericsson CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg. Whether this signals a power shift in the joint venture from Ericsson to Sony is unclear, but they've specifically mentioned in a press conference today to announce the moves that they need to "address [their] smartphone weakness" -- and yes, we'd agree. Do exactly that, Bert Nordberg.
