MALMO, Sweden, April 15, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Aspiro today announced that it is to appoint Hakan Persson, previously head of AU System's Operator business area, as its new CEO. Persson has gained extensive experience of business development and marketing in the telecommunications industry and mobile Internet through holding several positions at Telia, BT and IBM. Aspiro's departing CEO, Lena Wittbjer, who requested to leave the company herself, remains at the service of the board of directors until the middle of the year.
Aspiro's goal of becoming one of Europe's leading providers of mobile consumer services has been accomplished thanks to the past few years of focussed internationalization. Aspiro currently boasts 90 customers in fourteen geographical markets including eleven of the world's best-known mobile operators. Moreover, twelve operators are in the process of testing Aspiro's MMS services.
Aspiro's next step is to help ensure that the mobile Internet market becomes a success by offering, among other things, mobile operators complete package solutions, i.e. services combined with marketing elements. As a result, Aspiro is about to enter a new business phase characterized by service management. This raises the demands on the company to increase its marketing capabilities as well as its ability to implement service solutions for operators.
Aspiro's board of directors views a management change as an important step for the company at this stage and has therefore appointed Hakan Persson to succeed Lena Wittbjer as the new CEO.
Hakan Persson was previously head of the Operator division at AU System. He possesses extensive knowledge of the mobile services industry which he gained from holding different appointments at Swedish operator, Telia. Among other things, he developed and launched Telia's mobile portal Speedy Tomato. He has also held senior positions at BT and IBM. Hakan Persson is 41 years old and lives in Malmo.
"Under Lena Wittbjer's management, Aspiro has developed into a world-class, international mobile services company and the board of directors wishes her the very best for the future," said Tomas Althen, chairman of Aspiro. "We now welcome onboard Hakan Persson as the new CEO. His wide experience of mobile Internet and the telecom industry could be decisive for Aspiro's future success as the company begins to work closer with mobile operators."
"Aspiro's biggest challenge as I see it is to take an active role in helping the mobile services industry develop positively," said Hakan Persson, Aspiro's next CEO. "Bearing in mind the recent, and future, investments that have been made in infrastructure, services, brand names and similar items, the industry will greatly benefit by a rapidly increasing use of mobile consumer services. Aspiro's goal is to play a central role in this development. Close collaboration with operators and other companies is vital for Aspiro's development in the long term and for increasing the company's revenues quickly in the short term."
Hakan Persson will take over as CEO this spring. Aspiro's departing CEO, Lena Wittbjer, will remain at the service of the board of directors until the middle of the year after which she plans to leave the company. During part of this period she will be free from company obligations and will spend time with her family in Luxembourg before searching for a new, dynamic challenge.
"As I leave Aspiro after two intensive years of internationalization and working hard to firmly establish the company, I feel fully satisfied and immensely proud of the results we have achieved. Today the company has a broad customer base and a successful distribution network through major suppliers like Ericsson and Nokia," saie departing CEO, Lena Wittbjer. "Now is the perfect time to hand over to a fresh and strong guiding force. As a person with knowledge of operational control, Hakan Persson is an excellent choice since he possesses many years of telecom experience, much of which is closely linked to our core business activities."
About Aspiro
Aspiro offers mobile teleoperators, portals, companies and organizations a wide range of attractive services designed to meet the individual's needs for information, entertainment and communication via mobile media. The company's vision is to become an external mobile services division for mobile operators and companies with strong brands.
Founded in 1998, Aspiro is today an important player in the global mobile Internet market. Aspiro's business concept, organization and operations are based on many years of experience gained in the mobile telecommunications and IT industries.
For more information, please visit www.aspiro.com
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