Nokia appointed Justin Hotard, a tech industry expert in data centers and AI, as its next CEO, in a move that reinforces the company’s ambition to expand into new growth areas.

Finnish telecoms company Nokia on Monday said Pekka Lundmark would step down as CEO, and that it has appointed Justin Hotard to take over his role.

Nokia’s CEO Pekka Lundmark will step down on March 31, 2024, to pursue new opportunities. Justin Hotard from Intel will succeed him on April 1, aiming to drive Nokia’s growth in data centers and AI, critical to the company’s future strategy.