Ericsson will enter 2027 with a slimmer leadership structure and sharper regional focus.
The company’s new President and CEO, Per Narvinger, has announced a major management restructure. The changes take effect on 1 January 2027. They combine two Asian market areas into one wider Asia-Pacific business.
Ericsson will merge North East Asia with South East Asia, Oceania and India. The new unit will operate as a single APAC market area. This move should simplify decision-making across a critical growth region.
Narvinger said: “With the changes announced, the executive team will be leaner and more balanced in terms of responsibilities, which will enable greater customer focus and the ability to act fast in a dynamic environment.”
He added: “The creation of the APAC market area will also enable us to operate more effectively whilst staying close to customers at country level. Asia-Pacific is home to many important customers, and this change will help us strengthen our focus and execution in order to serve our customers even better.”
The appointment of Patrick Johansson adds experience to the new regional model. He currently leads Europe, Middle East and Africa operations. Ericsson will now need to name his replacement for EMEA.
That leadership gap creates a near-term uncertainty. EMEA remains a strategically important market for operators and enterprise customers. A smooth handover will matter for customer confidence.
Narvinger said: “I am pleased that Patrick Johansson who has extensive experience from working in the APAC region, has accepted to head the new market area, building on the strong contribution in developing customer relationships and growth for both us and our customers in Market Area EMEA,”
Meanwhile, Chafic Nassif and Andres Vicente will support the merger. They will hand over their responsibilities on 31 December 2026.
Ericsson is also reshaping its Enterprise Wireless Solutions business. It will move several products and services into other company units. Neutral Host and Ericsson Private 5G will shift into Business Area Networks.
Wireless WAN will stay as a separate business. It will report to Yossi Cohen, head of Ericsson’s Americas operations.
This structure may bring enterprise products closer to Ericsson’s core network expertise. It could also reduce internal overlap and speed product development. However, enterprise customers may need clear communication during the transition.
Åsa Tamsons, current Enterprise Wireless Solutions head, will support the changes. She will leave her role at the end of December 2026.
Narvinger concluded: “We are strengthening our focus on seamless connectivity and want to make sure that we can offer a rich portfolio that leverages the full R&D competence in the company and meets both CSP and Enterprise demand.”
The restructuring signals faster execution and tighter cost control. Yet its success depends on continuity, customer trust, and strong regional leadership.
