Scott Dresser (pictured) joins the company on Monday 21 March following embarrassing revelations that the Swedish company had carried out an internal investigation in 2019 that revealed “unusual expense claims in Iraq”, that were allegedly connected with payments to the terrorist group Isis.
The revelations are likely to undermine a deferred prosecution agreement that Ericsson agreed with the US Department of Justice (DoJ) under which it paid total penalties of over US$1 billion because of admitted misconduct in China, Djibouti, Kuwait and Vietnam.
Some observers expect the DoJ to exact further penalties on Ericsson.
Dresser was group general counsel at Veon from 2014 until the end of 2021, during a period of restructuring and refocusing.
In 2019 he was named by Legalease’s Legal 500 for his “unparalleled reputation for leadership in complex corporate transformations”. The citation said he had “been instrumental to Veon’s global restructuring in markets ranging from Algeria and Russia to Europe and the CIS”.
Börje Ekholm, Ericsson’s CEO, said: “We demand that our business be conducted responsibly and with integrity across its value chain. Scott’s experience driving positive change will be invaluable as Ericsson expands its business and continues its cultural transformation, enhancing its governance, compliance, and controls.”
Dresser said he wanted Ericsson “to execute the strategy while focusing on operating with the highest standards of corporate governance and compliance”.
Xavier Dedullen, whom Dresser replaces, leaves the company at the weekend. He was with Ericsson since 2018.
