Alcatel-Lucent names new management team

AFP, September, 2008

PARIS (AFP) — French-US telecom equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent named Ben Verwaayen, former head of British telecom group BT, and Philippe Camus, co-director of French media group Lagardere, in a new top management team on Tuesday.

They will replace the founders of Alcatel-Lucent, Serge Tchuruk and Patricia Russo, who resigned at the end of July to allow the group to make a fresh start after suffering six straight quarterly losses.

Camus, a senior partner at French media group Lagardere, is to replace Tchuruk as non-executive chairman from October 1, while Verwaayen will take over as chief executive replacing Russo.

The December 2006 merger between Alcatel and Lucent was intended to give both parties the power to overcome damage from the high-tech bubble,...