Nokia on Cusp of Tech Revolution with New CEO Justin Hotard
Nokia’s new CEO Justin Hotard steps in at a pivotal time for the telco, bringing vital AI and data centre expertise in a turbulent tech landscape. Today, Justin Hotard begins his tenure as Nokia’s new CEO. He brings to the table a wealth of specialised expertise in AI and data centre technologies from his previous leadership role at Intel, where he headed its Data Centre and AI Group.
Now, as the technology landscape has evolved, Nokia is keen on positioning itself more prominently at the nexus of telecommunications and computing — domains increasingly governed by AI-driven applications that require advanced network capabilities. At Nokia, Justin has identified AI as a key growth vector, describing the current trend as an “AI supercycle”. “The AI supercycle is presenting tremendous growth opportunities,” he says. “First in Network Infrastructure, we are seeing massive early demand in the AI supercycle, for data centre builds.” This emphasis on network infrastructures reflects the intense requirements that AI applications impose on data centres, which need advanced computing power and robust connectivity solutions to manage the enormous data volumes necessary for AI systems to function optimally.
With more than two decades of experience — including prominent roles at Intel, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and NCR Corporation — Justin is equipped to steer Nokia through these complex challenges. His AI and data centre expertise match the strategic focus that Nokia’s board deems essential for the company’s future growth.
Justin sees this technological shift as a catalyst for fundamental changes among Nokia’s core customers — Communication Service Providers (CSPs). “I believe in our Communication Server Provider market, our core CSP customers are also going to transform," he says. “We saw this transformation in the internet era when they went from voice to data – and that means there’s a great opportunity for our fixed infrastructure but more importantly for our Mobile Networks and Cloud and Network Services businesses. “Beyond our core markets, there’s a great emerging opportunity, in areas like defence and the enterprise and edge – and that’s because connectivity is no longer an option. “AI, robotics, agentic AI — these are all creating new demands on secure, reliable connectivity.”
“For companies to win in a time period like today, when the pace of innovation is so fast, it’s critical that companies not only reinvent themselves, but stay focused – and what I mean by that is focused on their core technology, their core innovation, their core value-add for their customers.” Justin describes himself as a “techno-optimist” but also emphasises the need to balance technological advancement with human needs and shareholder returns. “I’m most excited about joining Nokia to help lead the company to its next chapter,” he says. “We’ve got tremendous assets, tremendous technology – but it’s also about making sure we maximise the opportunity in front of us with the market – and I believe we have a great team to build that next chapter and next story.” https://technologymagazine.com/ai-and-machine-learning/the-future-of-nokia-with-its-new-ceo-justin-hotard