Where will Colin Giles lead Nokia to?

Nokia Oyj, the world's biggest maker of mobile phones, named Colin Giles as the company's new China president, replacing David Ho.

Ho, will become chairman of the China region for Nokia Siemens Networks, Nokia said today in an e-mailed statement. Giles at present heads the Espoo, Finland-based company's customer and market operations in China.

Nokia Siemens Networks is a venture that will be formed through the merger of the telecommunications network equipment units of Nokia and Siemens AG, the companies in June. Nokia and Siemens will own equal shares of the venture and the merger is expected to be completed before Jan. 1, 2007, they said.

Giles will begin his new duties once Nokia Siemens Networks China is formed and Ho is transferred to the new company, the statement said. Ho will remain a board member of Nokia China.

China has the biggest potential market for mobile phone users. Yet the major portion of that market is expected to come from the rural market, where income distribution is lower than the cities. Should Nokia concentrate on the emerging rural market or the more affluent urban market?

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