New Alcatel-Lucent Chairman: Must Focus on Entire Business Devt

PARIS -(Dow Jones)- Franco-U.S. telecommunications equipment company Alcatel-Lucent's non-executive chairman designate, Philippe Camus, said Tuesday the company must focus on the development of the entire business.

"What is important is the entire business and its ecosystem...It is the entirety of the business ecosystem which must be developed," Camus, who is set to replace Serge Tchuruk on Oct. 1, said in an interview with French television station LCI.

Alcatel-Lucent announced Camus' appointment earlier Tuesday, along with the appointment of former BT Group head Ben Verwaayen as chief executive officer.

The merger between Alcatel-Lucent in 2006 has failed to create the desired synergies, and the company has experienced six consecutive quarters of losses and issued several profit warnings.

Analysts and investors are looking to the new management to cut costs, attract more customers and raise margins.

In the television interview Camus also said that technology is a key area for the company.

"The adaptation of large networks is at the heart of Alcatel-Lucent's activities, and it is a market which will continue to grow and develop and upon which Alcatel-Lucent's success will be founded," Camus said.

-By William Horobin, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 1 4017 1740; william.horobin@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

Posted to the site on 2nd September 2008