Nordic Semiconductor is strengthening its executive management team with additional business leadership and streamlining organizational structure with four new technology-centric business units. Øyvind Strøm joins Nordic to lead the new Short-Range business unit, which includes Bluetooth, 802.15.4 based and proprietary 2.4GHz technologies. Øyvind Birkenes joins the company to lead the new Long-Range business unit covering Cellular IoT, DECT NR+ and cloud efforts.

Interim SVP R&D Joakim Ferm has been promoted to lead the new Wi-Fi business unit. The new Power Management business unit will temporarily be led by Kjetil Holstad, EVP Strategy & Product Management. Øyvind Strøm, EVP of the new Short-Range business unit, has more than 25 years of semiconductor experience from various global product- and business leadership roles in Atmel and Microchip.

He was heading Microchip?s European microcontroller business for several years, and comes from the position as CEO of the Schibsted company Sentinel Software. Øyvind Birkenes, EVP of the new Long-Range business unit, has spent the last ten years as CEO of Airthings. He holds extensive management and technology experience, and also led the Low Power Wireless semiconductor business of Texas Instruments for many years.

Birkenes knows Nordic well from his previous tenure as a board member. Strøm and Birkenes will join Nordic with effect from mid-April 2024. Joakim Ferm, SVP of the new Wi-Fi business unit, came to Nordic from Nokia almost 16 years ago and has held various positions in product design and project management across Nordic?s short-range, long-range and Wi-Fi product ranges.

Ferm will also continue to fill the role as interim SVP R&D during the transition to the new company structure. The three will join Vegard Wollan?s executive management team, which also includes CFO and EVP Finance Pål Elstad, EVP Sales & Marketing Geir Langeland, EVP Supply Chain Ole-Fredrik Morken, EVP Strategy & Product Management Kjetil Holstad, EVP People & Communication Katarina Finneng, SVP Quality Ola Bostrøm, and SVP IR Ståle Ytterdal.