Nokia Networks has appointed former Nortel executive Samih Elhage as its chief operating officer, the vendor announced Friday. (See NSN Appoints COO.)

Elhage, who has most recently been advising private equity and consulting firms on telecom sector issues, starts his new job on March 19.

Prior to his stint as an adviser, Elhage held a number of senior roles at Nortel, including president of Carrier Voice over IP and Applications Solutions, a business that got snapped up by Genband Inc. (See Nortel to Sell VoIP Unit to Genband.)

Elhage joins NSN as the company undertakes a massive reorganization to slim down and focus on mobile broadband, customer experience management and professional services. (See NSN to Cut 17,000 Staff and NSN Unveils Its Kill List .)

— Ray Le Maistre, International Managing Editor, Light Reading