Nokia announced a major leadership transition within its Network Infrastructure business as Federico Guillén prepares to retire by the end of 2025. Guillén will step down as President of the business group and leave the Group Leadership Team on June 30. Effective July 1, David Heard—former CEO of Infinera and currently Nokia’s Chief Strategic Growth Officer for Network Infrastructure—will assume the role of President and join Nokia’s top executive team.
Heard joined Nokia following its acquisition of Infinera in February 2025. His career spans three decades across telecom and technology companies including JDSU, AT&T, Lucent, and BigBand Networks. As Infinera CEO, he led key portfolio shifts toward scalable optical transport and AI-centric infrastructure. His promotion marks a strategic move to align Nokia’s network infrastructure unit with hyperscaler growth and AI-driven connectivity markets. Heard will be based in Dallas and report to Nokia CEO Justin Hotard.
Additionally, Nokia appointed Victoria Hanrahan as Chief of Staff to the President and CEO, joining the Group Leadership Team effective immediately. Based in Espoo, Hanrahan will support strategic execution and cross-functional alignment. She previously held leadership roles at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, most recently as Vice President of Global Marketing for High Performance Computing and AI.
- Federico Guillén to retire from Nokia on December 31, 2025
- David Heard becomes President of Network Infrastructure and joins the Group Leadership Team on July 1
- Heard brings experience from Infinera, JDSU, Lucent, AT&T, and others
- Victoria Hanrahan appointed Chief of Staff to CEO, effective immediately
- Changes reinforce Nokia’s focus on AI-optimized solutions and strategic growth in hyperscaler markets
“I’m excited to welcome David to the Group Leadership Team as the new head of our Network Infrastructure business,” said Justin Hotard, Nokia President and CEO. “David has a proven track record of scaling businesses and driving innovation, and he brings a deep expertise of hyperscalers and AI-optimized solutions to the business.”
