DUSSELDORF: Nokia Telecommunications Germany, the country’s second
largest mobile telecom provider after Siemens, has hired Shandwick
Frankfurt MD Birgit Opladen as its first communications director.
Opladen takes up the position next January. She will report both to the
president of Nokia Germany, Joerns Haberstroh, and the senior
vice-president of communications at Nokia’s Finland headquarters, Lauri
Kivinen.
Opladen will be in charge of developing Nokia’s communications strategy
She will head a team including the PR heads of Noki’s five divisions who
previously handled the firm’s PR.
Opladen said: ’I want the less active PR departments such as mobile
phones and car phone products to become more involved. I also aim to
bring Nokia into the German media more often.’
Nokia Germany is the holding company for five divisions: the telecom
network; the mobile phones division; the multimedia division; car phone
products and monitors.
Two of Nokia’s divisions use PR agencies: TriMedia Communications works
on the telecom network and Kaltwasser PR produces a customer magazine
for the mobile phone division. Although Opladen has no plans to change
these agencies, she said she may look for a third agency to work on the
car phone products and to provide corporate PR support.
Opladen’s responsibilities at Shandwick will be assumed by her co-MD
Achim Josten.
