Risku: 13 Executives The New Nokia CEO Should Sack Today [Updated]

So OPK has been replaced by Mr Microsoft Office, Stephen Elop. The jury’s out, of course, on Mr Elop but every success to him.

And then on Monday, Anssi Vanjoki, the chap most of the marketplace was looking for a Mobile Device renaissance promptly resigned. One imagines he was not too impressed with the new CEO. Or vice versa. Either way, there’s clearly no love lost between Anssi and Nokia’s new High Command given the sparse press release that didn’t even include one “thank you for your help, good luck,” note from the Board. Or OPK. Anyone.

If you haven’t read the Anssi release, do take a quick glance and see for yourself. Who knows, maybe there will be a Gold Watch ceremony in 6 months time?

Now that the CEO’s on his way out (with, by the way, a lot of thank-yous and very-well-dones from the Board) and Anssi is joining him, is there a need for the new CEO to do some spring cleaning of the rest of the senior ranks?

Most definitely, reckons Mr Risku.

Who is Mr Risku? Let me give you some background. It’s necessary before you scan down to the names and rather direct explanations.

Back on the 22nd of June 2010, Andrew Orlowski of The Register published a rather extensive interview with Juhani Risku, a former Senior Nokia executive. Juhani had published a book (unfortunately in Finnish) detailing his suggestions for ‘Rescuing Nokia.’

The interview was most definitely illuminating and I highlighted it on Mobile Industry Review the same day Andrew published. Indeed it’s still getting a lot of interest as one of the posts at the top of every page.

Here’s Andrew’s overview of Juhani:

Juhani Risku is 53 and was independently successful before he joined Nokia – trained as an architect and industrial designer, his company had offices in France and Paris as well as Finland. He spent nine years at Nokia from 2001 and his various roles at the company included design, usability (he was head of Symbian user experience design) and Forum Nokia. He was also head of Nokia Showroom – the last place before the operators make their decisions on buying the company’s network systems.

Now, the rather direct stuff.

Here is the note I received from Juhani. I have published it in full minus his personal contact details. It most definitely makes some rather direct claims so I would be delighted to publish a rebuttal from those mentioned if they so wish it (I’m ewan@mobileindustyreview.com)

On to Juhani’s note:

– – – – –

Hi,

I noticed your article “A radical plan to rescue Nokia” after Andrew Orlowski’s article in The Register. Thank you for reading my opinions!

And of course today´s news about Anssi Vanjoki are very suprising.

Here I gathered some thoughts about what should be done immediately at Nokia after Mr. Elop nomination and Mr. Vanjoki´s resignation.

So many things have happened:

– Stephen Elop as CEO
– Anssi Vanjoki leaves Nokia
– Nokia personnel is waiting for starting shot…

Now when Anssi Vanjoki gave an example of courage to leave the company there should be a vast resignation program (“GRO”, Get-Rid-Of program in my book).

Here’s one short list for GRO:

– A very senior design chap
– A very senior multimedia executive
– A senior technology leader
– A very senior chap involved with Symbian
– A senior person who’s got nowhere with Ovi
– Another senior disaster without any ideas and progress
– A VP without any knowledge, competence and enthusiasm
– A senior media VP
– A senior music VP
– Another senior VP brand executive
– Yet another senior VP
– A lot of the Forum Nokia team

[Update — I’ve removed the names and descriptions — see below]

Nokia is executing my book’s proposals very precisely according to leadership and organization change.

The big things should follow:

– New CCO Chief Creative Officer beside Stephen Elop in September
– DLT Design Leadership Team for CCO (25-35 persons)
– More clock speed and new ideas for innovation, concepting, prototyping and design
– Stock value to 30 Euros, not to 10 Euros only
– Shareholder care, in the history and today nobody cares about the owners
– Nokia strategy renewal from vision, target, leadership, implementation and personnel´s perspective (Risku)(Nokia strategy has been a wish list only from the top management, it has been split in pieces around the organizations, then after 3-4 months round everybody implements an outdated bullet point list called “strategy” – Product portfolio renewal 1 (Risku), not only one high end phone but several carefully categorized models with end-to-end services, content and solutions
– Product portfolio renewal 2 (Risku), to create systemic wholeness à la Apple (only one platform, MIST UI, drama, contextual design, ground breaking seamless connectivity)
– Work harder –> all DLT and top management to work during every second weekend, working days from 8 AM to 8 PM
– Leadership in technological and user centered solutions (Risku) (data, information, processing, cloud, SOM Self Organizing Maps, Virtual/Augmented Reality, visualization)
– Create rocket science for mobility, services, content, UCC/UGC User Created/Generated Content, Segway as an example of abstraction (Risku)
– Start personnel renewal and upgrade –> Creative Organisation program (Risku), flat organization –> GRO for 400 SVPs and VPs and directors; training or GRO for 5,000 incompetent persons worldwide.

So, Nokia is in the dawn of the mobile drama age. Mr. Elop needs all support he can get.

Best regards,
Juhani Risku

– – – – –

You’ll have seen the phrase ‘Peter’s Principle’ mentioned a few times above. Orlowski raised that with Risku and explains thus:

One phrase repeatedly came up in our conversation: The Peter Principle. This is the rule by which people are promoted to their own level of incompetence. Many, but not all of Nokia’s executives have attained this goal, claims Risku.

Now then, Juhani’s suggestions are rather direct. As I said above, I will happily publish a rebuttal of those mentioned or from Nokia directly. You can contact Juhani via his site: http://uusinokia.livejournal.com/

What do you think of Juhani’s suggestions? Would you exit the above named individuals? Do you think wholesale change is needed? And do you reckon Mr Elop, the new CEO, is thinking the same thing?

(Credit to <a href=http://www.benjam.in>Ben Smith</a> for the ‘Mr Microsoft Office’ name for Mr Elop)

Update: Mike Butcher at TechCrunch picks up the story: Former Nokia exec nows calls for an axe to fall across management

Update 2: I’ve removed the names and descriptions above because, although I am seriously unimpressed with Nokia’s performance over the past few years, I can’t be entirely sure that they’re specifically responsible. And ultimately, from a personal reputation viewpoint, I should be sure. The underlying message of this post still stands: Nokia needs a massive, massive clear-out.