Mangalore University graduate Rajeev Suri may head Nokia

After Satya Nadella notched up the top job in US-based Microsoft, it may now be the turn of another Mangalore University graduate to head a Fortune 500 company.

Rajeev Suri, the head of Nokia’s telecom network equipment division, is likely to become the Finnish group’s next chief executive following the sale of its handset business to Microsoft, a newspaper reported on Friday.

After Nadella, Suri will be the second alumnus from Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), once an affiliate of Mangalore University, to bag such a prestigious position if chosen.

Only a few weeks ago, Satya Nadella from Hyderabad, who also did his engineering from MIT, was chosen to head Microsoft. Speaking to Deccan Herald, MIT Director Dr Vinod Thomas said, Rajeev Suri was a 1989 batch Electronics and Communication engineering student.

Thomas remembered Suri as a reasonably good student, who performed better in extra-curricular activities.

Noting the exposure given to students to acquire knowledge and capabilities at MIT, he said the institute is happy with the achievements of its alumni.

Role models

The students in MIT will now have many role models to look up to and follow their success stories. The achievements will help students aim high and attempt to realise their dreams, he added. “Helsingin Sanomat” newspaper, citing sources familiar with board discussions, said Suri was the strongest candidate to succeed Stephen Elop, who is due to move to Microsoft once the 5.4 billion euro ($7.5 billion) handset deal is closed.

The companies have been expecting to finalise the deal by the end of March, and the newspaper said the board of Nokia would nominate a new chief executive shortly after that. Currently based in Espoo, Finland, Suri in recent years has helped the network equipment division, Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN), turn profitable with a drastic restructuring plan and by ditching unprofitable businesses.

Suri, who has headed NSN since October 2009, has been credited for “presiding over consistently improving results leading to the successful turnaround and restructuring of the company.” Nokia declined to comment on the CEO selection process.