"On behalf of the Board of Symbian I am delighted to welcome Nigel Clifford as Symbian's new Chief Executive Officer," said Sir Peter Gershon, Independent Non-Executive Chairman, Symbian, yesterday as he announced the appointment by the Board of Symbian of Nigel Clifford to the post of Chief Executive Officer. Clifford will take up his position in June 2005.

"The Board conducted a wide-ranging search for a Chief Executive Officer with the right experience and balance of skills to take Symbian into its next stage of development and Nigel was our unanimous choice," Gershon continued. "Symbian's latest results show shipments of Symbian OS phones are growing rapidly, earning Symbian OS a leading position in the global market for smartphone software. Symbian's next challenge is to achieve a leading position in the higher volume, lower cost, mid-range phones market segment. Nigel Clifford's impressive track record in leading international technology organisations to deliver both complex products and excellent commercial results give Nigel the expertise and experience to lead Symbian successfully in the future."

"I am delighted to be appointed Chief Executive Officer of Symbian," said Clifford. "I am very impressed by the momentum Symbian is achieving and I am looking forward to the challenge of leading Symbian as the mobile market continues its rapid evolution."

A graduate of Cambridge University with an MBA from Strathclyde University in Scotland, Clifford has wide experience of successful leadership across a number of sectors, including the technology sector. He was appointed Chief Executive of Tertio Telecoms Ltd in July 2000 - an international telecoms software product and services company backed by Apax Partners, Advent International and GE Equity. He led the sale of Tertio Telecoms to Evolving Systems Inc. in November 2004.

Before Tertio he spent two years as Senior Vice President, Service Delivery with international telecommunications company Cable & Wireless, serving on the company’s United Kingdom Board. He successfully led a 2,000 person organisation, managed a capital program of more than £200m and was responsible for delivering all customers’ orders to, from and in the United Kingdom.

Clifford also spent five years from 1992 as Chief Executive of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary University National Health Service Trust, one of the UK’s largest hospital trusts, employing more than 5,000 staff in five city centre hospitals to provide the city of Glasgow with the full range of general and specialist medical services.

Prior to 1992 he spent eleven years with British Telecom, most latterly as Head of Business Strategy and Market Development for British Telecom’s Mobile Communications business unit, and before that as Senior Strategist in the Chairman's office.