Gregory Lee, the former president and chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics North America, has joined Nokia as the new president of Nokia Technologies, effective immediately. Lee will also become a member of the company’s Group Leadership team. In his new role, Lee will report directly to Rajeev Suri, president and CEO of Nokia. Commenting on Lee’s appointment, Suri says the company made the right decision in choosing him to lead Nokia Technologies moving forward amid what he calls a renewed excitement for the Nokia brand globally. Suri adds that Lee’s passion for innovation makes him the ideal leader to advance Nokia’s efforts in virtual reality and digital health, among others. The Nokia Technologies unit manages the company’s initiatives in medical products and intellectual property portfolio for mobile devices. Lee will be based at the company’s office in California.
In 2013, Lee began to lead Samsung’s businesses in North America. In this capacity, he handled a portfolio of products that include mobile phones and consumer electronics. He also managed new market segments including digital health, virtual reality devices and digital content. Lee’s 13-year tenure at Samsung also included roles as global chief marketing officer. Additionally, he held the position of president and CEO for Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia and president and CEO of Samsung Telecommunications America. Before he joined Samsung, Lee worked for other companies including Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, and Procter & Gamble, with focus on product development, sales and strategic initiatives. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of California at San Diego. As he looks forward to the next chapter of his professional career, Lee says he aims to help build on the success that the Nokia Technologies team has accomplished in producing innovative products and solutions in the consumer technology market.
Samsung has yet to announce Lee’s replacement who will lead Samsung Electronics North America, though the Korean tech giant’s website still names Lee as chief executive of its businesses in the region. Stay tuned for more updates as Samsung is expected to unveil the next CEO of Samsung Electronics North America in the coming days or weeks.