Nokia Launches Technology & AI and Corporate Development Organizations, Appoints Pallavi Mahajan and Konstanty Owczarek to Group Leadership

Nokia creates Technology and AI and Corporate Development organizations; appoints Mahajan and Owczarek to Group Leadership Team

Effective 1 October 2025, Nokia will establish two focused teams: a Technology and AI Organization (TAO) and a Corporate Development Organization (CDO). The company named Pallavi Mahajan as Chief Technology and AI Officer and Konstanty Owczarek as Chief Corporate Development Officer, both joining Nokia's Group Leadership Team.

Nishant Batra will step down as Chief Strategy and Technology Officer and from the Group Leadership Team on 30 September 2025.

Why this move matters

Nokia is aligning R&D, security and AI under one accountable owner while creating a single front door for strategy, partnerships, M&A and incubation. This is a clear bet on the AI supercycle and tighter execution across research-to-product and strategy-to-deal flow.

As President and CEO Justin Hotard noted, the goal is to drive differentiation through core technologies, strengthen security and AI, and maximize the value of ecosystem partnerships.

What the new organizations will do

Technology and AI Organization (TAO): Integrates Nokia Bell Labs, Technology and AI leadership, and Group Security. Mandate: focus long-horizon research where Nokia can lead, translate it faster into product roadmaps, embed AI and security by design, and expand ecosystem leverage.

Corporate Development Organization (CDO): Brings together Corporate Development, Strategic Partnerships, M&A, incubation and NGP Capital. Mandate: sharpen portfolio strategy, source and execute deals, scale new ventures, and systematize partnership value creation.

Leadership appointments

Pallavi Mahajan, Chief Technology and AI Officer: joins from Intel, where she led Data Center and AI Software and previously the Network and Edge Group. Earlier roles include supercomputing and hybrid cloud leadership at HPE and self-driving networks initiatives at Juniper Networks.

• Known for connecting networks, software and AI to ship scaled products and platforms.
• Scope includes Nokia Bell Labs, enterprise-wide AI direction, and security.

Konstanty Owczarek, Chief Corporate Development Officer: brings a mix of strategy, finance and operating leadership. He led strategy and business development for HPE's HPC, AI & Labs business, drove a pivot to Generative AI, and held senior roles in AIG's strategy, M&A and new markets.

• Scope includes portfolio strategy, M&A, strategic partnerships, incubation and NGP Capital.
• Focus on accelerating strategy evolution and execution across businesses.

Executive takeaways

• Centralize AI, research and security: one owner can speed decisions on where to invest, what to integrate, and what to partner for.
• Shorten time-to-value: tie Bell Labs research to product P&L with stage gates and clear transfer criteria.
• Use CDO as an operating engine: connect corporate strategy to deal flow, venture bets, and partner revenue with shared KPIs.
• Institutionalize AI and security governance: standardize model risk, data policy, and secure-by-default practices across units. See the NIST AI Risk Management Framework for guidance here.
• Partnerships with purpose: pursue alliances where Nokia's IP and channels unlock measurable ARR or margin expansion, not just announcements.
• Measure what matters: R&D throughput (from concept to product), attach rate of AI features, security incident rates, accretive M&A, and venture spin-in/spin-out outcomes.

What to watch next

• Priority areas within TAO: AI-native networking, 6G enablers, security automation and edge intelligence.
• Deal cadence from CDO: asset swaps, divestitures, and targeted acquisitions that tighten the portfolio.
• Partner economics: co-sell motion, marketplace listings and joint IP commercialization.
• Operating rhythm: quarterly readouts that tie research milestones and partnership KPIs to business performance.

Leadership transitions

Nishant Batra will depart his role on 30 September 2025. His tenure included transformation at Nokia Bell Labs, positioning in 6G, and progress in digital and security initiatives.

Concise bios

Pallavi Mahajan (born 1977, Indian citizen) holds an Advanced Leadership Program credential from Stanford GSB, an M.S. in Software Systems from BITS Pilani, and a B.Tech in Computer Science from NIT Kurukshetra.

• Intel: Corporate VP & GM, Data Center and AI Group (2024-2025); Corporate VP & GM, Network and Edge Group (2022-2024)
• HPE: VP roles across Solutions Engineering and Software Engineering for Compute (2020-2022)
• Juniper Networks: VP Engineering (2016-2019) and prior senior positions (2003-2016)
• Earlier: BayPackets; C-DOT

Konstanty Owczarek (born 1979, US and Polish citizen) holds a Master of Finance and Banking from University of Lodz with studies at Copenhagen Business School, and a BBA from Emory University.

• Founder, KJO Advisors (2024-2025)
• HPE: CSO & COO, HPC, AI & Labs (2022-2024)
• AIG: Global Head of Strategy & Innovation, President of New Markets; Head of M&A and Strategy (2018-2022)
• Earlier: AIG Corporate Development, Strategic Risk Capital Advisors, IFL/Marakon, Bear Stearns

For strategy and transformation leaders

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For context on AI's enterprise impact, see this executive summary on value creation from a leading research firm here.

Key dates and contacts

• Effective date for TAO and CDO: 1 October 2025
• Leadership change: 30 September 2025

Media inquiries: Nokia Communications, Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications, +358 10 448 4900, press.services@nokia.com

Investor relations: +358 931 580 507, investor.relations@nokia.com