Alexander wants to lead Emblaze to be major brand within three years
Another high level executive at O2 has decided his future lies elsewhere. Following the exit of top man Dave McGlade, Laurence Alexander, who as ceo of O2 online is in charge of data activity as well as of in charge of products and services, is leaving to join device vendor Emblaze Mobile.
O2 is regarded as a mobile data success story, pushing revenues from data up to around the 20% mark. Alexander has been a major part of that, presiding over the content development, marketing and pricing strategies. He also presides over O2’s sponsorship strategy, including deals with Arsenal and the England rungby team. His loss will undoubtedly leave a large hole within O2.
So what has enticed Alexander? Emblaze Mobile produces customised multmedia handsets, and has as its target European operators offering advanced data services. As such, Alexander, who at O2 has worked with Emblaze Ltd companies as a customer, will offer invaluable inside knowledge of operator strategies as well as top level contacts. He said that he thinks “all the pieces are in place” for Emblaze to develop from a relative unknown as a handset vendor to being a “major brand in mobile devices within three years.”
Eli Reifman, CEO of Emblaze Ltd, said: “We are excited that Laurence has agreed to lead Emblaze Mobile. He adds a consumer facing perspective to our design and manufacturing skills as we prepare to build on our success in the Far-East with a strong push of our next generation 2.5G and 3G handsets in Europe and worldwide.
“He is highly respected in the global telecoms industry and his management experience of running a multinational business will be invaluable to Emblaze Mobile as it enters the next critical stage of growth.”