Huawei appoints new chief executive to Irish business

Tony Yangxu to take over Irish operations at a time of global uncertainty for the company

Huawei has appointed a new chief executive in Ireland, with Tony Yangxu assuming responsibility for Huawei's carrier, enterprise and consumer business units here.

That will include the rollout of 5G in the country, which has already begun.

Mr Yangxu joined Huawei in 2006, and has held a number of senior roles at the company, including sales director for Huawei UK.

Huawei employs more than 500 staff directly and indirectly throughout the country, with sites in Dublin, Athlone and Cork.

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Mr Yangxu said he was honoured to help contribute to Ireland’s recovery at a challenging time.

“Huawei Ireland is fully committed to playing an active part in helping to create world-leading digital infrastructure throughout the country, including broadband and 5G, which will be essential for Ireland’s future economic success,” he said.

He takes over the Irish business at a time of uncertainty for the company, which has faced opposition to its involvement in the deployment of 5G networks globally from the US and some of its allies, claiming the company’s ties to China make it a risk to national security. Earlier this year, the UK told mobile network operators they must strip Huawei gear from networks by 2027.

However, the company is set to play a role in the Irish networks, with Eir among the companies that have confirmed they will be using Huawei equipment in their next generation networks.

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist