TAIPEI: HTC hired the former head of marketing at Samsung Electronics' US mobile phone business as an adviser to Chairman Cher Wang, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Paul Golden has been recruited as a contractor at the Taiwanese smartphone maker within the past few weeks and reports directly to Wang, the people said, asking not to be identified because the situation is confidential. Spokesmen for HTC didn’t immediately respond to e-mails seeking comment.

HTC’s hiring of Golden comes amid three straight quarters of operating losses amid continued declines in sales and market share. The Taoyuan, Taiwan-based company last month unveiled its One M8 handset and hired actor Gary Oldman to feature in TV commercials to promote the product, with Wang pledging to improve sales through better marketing.

“We just have to communicate well with our customers,” Wang said in an interview at HTC’s Taipei headquarters on April 8. “I believe if we can communicate better, we will do better.”

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