Swedish vendor Ericsson has announced the appointment of Patrick Johansson as the new Head of Market Area Middle East and Africa (MEA), succeeding Fadi Pharaon, who announced his departure in May.
Currently serving as Head of Business Control & Operations at Ericsson’s Business Area Cloud Software & Services, Johansson will assume his new role on August 1, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Johansson, who joined Ericsson in 1997, has held various positions within the company and has lived in Sweden, Korea, India, Austria, China, and Vietnam during his tenure.
Fadi Pharaon, who had been in the role since 2019 and served 26 years with Ericsson, is leaving to pursue new opportunities.
Ericsson President and CEO Borje Ekholm commented, “Patrick has extensive understanding of our technology and business strategy, which are crucial factors in maintaining our leading industry position. I’m very pleased that he has accepted this role and look forward to having him on the Executive Team.”
Johansson expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I am honored and thrilled to be offered this opportunity. Ericsson is at the epicenter of the latest technology trends where networks are the foundation for business and societal digitalization. We are leading the industry by providing fully programmable, high-performance networks with capabilities exposed through network APIs. I look forward to meeting customers and partners and working with my colleagues within Market Area Middle East and Africa to create outstanding customer value.”
