Alcatel-Lucent today announced the departure of the two top executives that were chief operating officers before the company’s merger.

Mike Quigley, president of science, technology and strategy, will leave the company, planning to return to Australia. And Chief Administrative Officer Frank D’Amelio will leave to become the chief financial officer of Pfizer.

Quigley was Alcatel’s chief operating officer before the company merged with Lucent Technologies and was considered by many at the time as a likely candidate to become chief executive officer. D’Amelio was Lucent’s COO and, before that, its chief financial officer.

Michel Rahier, currently head of the vendor’s Wireline Business group, will lead the overall Carrier Business division, which includes wireline, wireless and convergence businesses.

Etienne Fouques, head of the Carrier Business unit, will assume Quigley’s duties and oversee the vendor’s services group, which will continue to be led by John Meyer.