Nokia Unveils Tech & AI and Corporate Development Organizations, Appoints Mahajan and Owczarek
Nokia forms Technology & AI and Corporate Development groups to speed innovation and partnerships. New units launch Oct 1, 2025, with leadership changes to focus on AI and security.
Nokia creates Technology and AI and Corporate Development organizations to speed innovation and partnerships
September 17, 2025 - Nokia announced leadership changes and two new organizations designed to strengthen technology innovation, bolster business development, and create sharper focus across the company. The Technology and AI Organization and the Corporate Development Organization will be effective October 1, 2025.
"To succeed in the AI supercycle, we need to focus on where we can drive differentiation through our core technologies, strengthen our capabilities in security and AI, and maximize the value of partnerships in our ecosystem. Having a dedicated Technology and AI organization will be an important asset for us and our customers. The new Corporate Development organization will speed our strategy evolution and execution, and support our businesses." - Justin Hotard, President and CEO, Nokia
What's changing
- Technology and AI Organization: Integrates Nokia Bell Labs, Technology and AI Leadership, and Group Security.
- Corporate Development Organization: Integrates Corporate Development, Strategic Partnerships, Mergers and Acquisitions, incubation activities, and NGP Capital.
- Effective dates: Both organizations go live October 1, 2025. Nishant Batra steps down as Chief Strategy and Technology Officer and from the Group Leadership Team on September 30, 2025.
Why this matters for executives and IT leaders
- AI as a core capability: Expect stronger AI infusion across network software, operations, and services-spanning automation, assurance, and performance optimization.
- Security by design: Group Security sits with AI leadership, signaling tighter security standards embedded across portfolios and programs.
- Faster deal flow and strategy execution: Consolidating partnerships, M&A, incubation, and NGP Capital should shorten cycles from strategy to market impact.
- Research-to-product pipeline: With Nokia Bell Labs inside the Technology and AI organization, there's a clearer path from research to commercial delivery.
Leaders at a glance
- Pallavi Mahajan, Head of Technology and AI Organization. Former Corporate VP and GM of Data Center and AI Software at Intel. Led programs at the intersection of networking, mobility, cloud, edge, and AI. At HPE, pioneered supercomputing programs and hybrid cloud strategy. Earlier at Juniper Networks, drove progress toward self-driving networks.
- Konstanty Owczarek, Head of Corporate Development Organization. Broad background in corporate development, investment banking, investing, and strategy. At HPE's High Performance Compute, AI & Labs, led strategy and business development, including the pivot to Generative AI, plus product life cycle and operating management. Previously Head of Strategy and Innovation for AIG's Life and Retirement business.
Integration: what it signals
- Bell Labs + AI leadership: Closer collaboration between research and product teams should focus on areas like 5G/6G, edge, and cloud-native networking, with faster technical validation and delivery.
- Security with AI: Centralizing security alongside AI suggests unified policies for data, model, and infrastructure protection across product lines and services.
- Partnerships + capital: Housing Strategic Partnerships, M&A, incubation, and NGP Capital under one roof points to tighter sourcing, diligence, and integration of external innovation.
Leadership remarks
"I am delighted to welcome Pallavi to Nokia. She is recognized for her rare combination of deep technical expertise, commercial acumen, and proven ability to scale multi-billion-dollar product portfolios at the intersection of AI, mobile, and edge computing. I am also excited to welcome Konstanty to Nokia. He brings with him a unique combination of expertise spanning strategy, corporate development and finance across a variety of industries." - Justin Hotard, President and CEO, Nokia
"I would like to thank Nishant for his contribution to Nokia over the past five years. He led a transformation of Nokia Bell Labs, helped to position Nokia at the forefront of 6G, accelerated our digital and security transformation, and led the execution of our innovation strategy." - Justin Hotard, President and CEO, Nokia
What to watch next
- Clearer roadmaps for AI-enabled network automation, observability, and service assurance.
- Security initiatives spanning data protection, supply chain, and telecom-grade resilience across 5G and future 6G programs.
- New partnership frameworks with hyperscalers, chipset vendors, and systems integrators, plus incubation pathways via NGP Capital.
Actionable next steps for partners and customers
- Map your current Nokia engagements to the new structures. Identify points of contact for AI initiatives and partnership management effective October 1.
- Propose co-innovation pilots grounded in Bell Labs research with measurable outcomes in 2-3 quarters (e.g., OPEX reduction, SLA uplift, energy efficiency).
- Prepare diligence materials for faster M&A and partnership cycles (technical fit, security posture, legal readiness, financials).
- Upskill teams on AI security, network automation, and model governance. Explore focused programs and certifications: AI certifications for leaders and builders.
