Ericsson names Per Narvinger CEO as Börje Ekholm steps down after 9-year run

Ericsson has appointed Per Narvinger as its next president and CEO. He will take over October 1, replacing Börje Ekholm, who plans to step down at the end of September after more than nine years in the role. He will also step down from the Board of Directors as of October 1, 2026, but remain involved as an advisor to the new CEO until June 2027.

Narvinger, currently EVP and head of Business Area Networks, is a longtime Ericsson insider, having joined the company in 1997. His resume spans research, product development, sales and customer-facing leadership roles. Prior to Business Area Networks, he headed Business Area Cloud Software and Services since 2022.

According to recent earnings reports, Ericsson is navigating a slowdown in network spending, particularly in radio access networks (RAN), where operators have pulled back after the initial 5G buildout surge.

The Board of Directors said the move was a "well-planned and orderly” transition. Narvinger "has deep technical knowledge of our industry as well as extensive commercial experience and has proved himself in several key leadership positions. The Board is very pleased to welcome Per into this role at a very important time for the company," said Jan Carlson, chair of Ericsson’s Board of Directors.

AI and connectivity are the future

In the announcement, Narvinger pointed to the next phase of telecom evolution, the intersection of AI and connectivity, as key for Ericsson's future. He highlighted the need for “advanced connectivity solutions” as AI becomes more embedded in enterprise and industrial use cases, according to the press release about the news.

Vendors, including Ericsson, have been repositioning networks as platforms for AI workloads, automation and enterprise services, although real revenue growth from those areas remains uneven.

Ekholm leaves behind a consequential legacy. When he took over in 2017, Ericsson was in the middle of a turnaround. Over the next several years, he pushed cost cuts, refocused the business on core telecom infrastructure and steered the company through the early 5G cycle.

The next phase will look different. With 5G capex slowing and competition from Nokia and others remaining intense, the challenge for Narvinger will be more about delivery, improving margins, stabilizing revenue and proving that AI- and software-driven network capabilities can translate into sustained growth.

Ericsson declined to comment beyond what’s in the press release. 

Recon Analytics analyst Daryl Schoolar said Narvinger has a strong background for the role and appears to be a good choice. 

“He has been with the company since 1997 and has held roles in R&D, sales, product management, and regional leadership. This gives him a broad company foundation to build upon,” he told Fierce.

Biggest challenges

Roy Chua, principal of AvidThink, said Ericsson's biggest challenge is the low growth in the traditional RAN market. Operators remain cautious about capex, and 5G buildouts or standalone upgrades are still lagging in many regions. 

The second challenge is proving that enterprise, private wireless and network APIs can become significant and profitable. Vonage, which Ericsson acquired for $6 billion in 2022, is part of the network API ecosystem but hasn't delivered strong returns, he noted. 

“Turning 5G standalone, slicing, APIs, mission-critical networks and AI-enabled connectivity into meaningful revenue remains difficult. It's also unclear if AI will boost Ericsson or bring new competitors, like Nvidia entering the radio silicon space,” he said. 

“In my view, Narvinger is a pragmatic, low-risk choice. The positives are continuity, deep product and customer knowledge and operational discipline. However, continuity isn't reinvention, and Ericsson needs to define its role in the AI era and show the market where durable growth will come from if the RAN market stays flat,” he concluded. 

This story has been updated with additional commentary.