Arto Nummela, CEO of Nokia brand rights holder HMD Global resigns with immediate effect

HMD Global, which holds the rights to Nokia brand name, today said its chief executive officer Arto Nummela will leave the company with immediate effect. While HMD did not state the reason for the sudden departure, it said “through mutual agreement between Chief Executive Officer Arto Nummela and the HMD Global Board of Directors, Arto Nummela will leave HMD with immediate effect”. Florian Seiche, who is currently serving as President, will take over the additional responsibility as acting CEO, the Finnish firm said in a statement. Seiche had been co-leading HMD Global as President since the start of the company. “Arto Nummela has played a key role in the creation of the HMD Global operation, building the team and launching our first products,” HMD Global Oy Chairman of the Board Sam Chin said. HMD had acquired the manufacturing and distribution assets of the former Nokia phone business from Microsoft last year. Earlier this year, HMD revived Nokia’s classic **3310 feature phone** and is looking at bringing in more such devices as it aims to tap into growth markets like India and countries in Africa.