Ericsson hires Scott Dresser

Ericsson hires Scott Dresser

Scott Dresser has joined a telecom giant amid a dispute with the Justice Department over alleged corruption in Iraq

A Swedish telecommunications company has named Scott Dresser to the position of chief legal officer (CLO) and senior vice president in an effort to resolve an ongoing dispute with the US Department of Justice (DoJ) regarding alleged violations of a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) regarding corrupt payments in Iraq.

Dresser will be based in the United States and joins Ericsson following eight years as chief legal officer at Veon. He succeeds incumbent Chief Legal Officer Xavier Dedullen, who will remain in his role during the transition. The company noted that Dedullen, who assumed the position in 2018, was instrumental in turning around Ericsson's business.

Dedullen's appointment followed a deferred prosecution agreement in which Ericsson agreed to pay more than $1 billion following allegations of corruption in Djibouti, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Kuwait.

Ericsson disclosed earlier this month that the Department of Justice has accused it of violating the agreement by withholding information regarding its activities in Iraq. The BBC and other media outlets reported that Ericsson's investigation turned up no evidence that any of its employees were directly involved in funding terror groups.

Dresser's new responsibilities include overseeing Ericsson's legal and compliance function, a role that will see him oversee the company's ongoing negotiations with the Department of Justice.

President and CEO of Ericsson, Borje Ekholm, said Dresser's arrival would be a "critical time" for the company.

In addition, he said: "We expect that our business is conducted responsibly and with integrity across its value chain. Scott's previous experience directing positive change will prove invaluable as Ericsson expands its business and further enhances its governance, compliance and controls."

Dresser has worked in the technology, media and telecoms sector for more than two decades, including a six-year stint as general counsel of Virgin Atlantic's legal department, which numbered 60.

A former corporate lawyer began his legal career at Lord Day & Lord in New York before joining Morgan Lewis in 1994, where he advised companies on mergers and acquisitions, securities, governance and corporate matters for seven years. After working as general counsel for White Mountains Capital in 2005, he left to join Virgin Atlantic the following year.

Dresser left Veon in December, according to an October announcement from the company in which CEO Kaan Terzioğlu thanked him for his contributions to the company.

According to Terzioğlu, Scott has been a cornerstone of the company and has played a significant role in all strategic initiatives of the organization.