Stephen Elop, a Canadian businessman, served as the CEO of Nokia from 2010 to 2014. Before his tenure at Nokia, he held significant positions at Microsoft, where he contributed to product development and strategic initiatives. Elop's leadership at Nokia was marked by his push for a strategic partnership with Microsoft, resulting in the adoption of Windows Phone as Nokia's primary smartphone operating system amid declining market share.
Elop's time at Nokia was both transformative and controversial. His decision to pivot towards Windows Phone, while aiming to revitalize the brand, faced criticism as it alienated existing customers and partners who were loyal to the Symbian and MeeGo platforms. Despite the challenges, Elop's vision was to adapt Nokia to a rapidly evolving smartphone market dominated by competitors like Apple and Android-driven devices.