Sprint (NYSE: S) Nextel said today that Ralph Whitworth has resigned from the company’s board and that it has appointed Sven-Christer Nilsson, according to a document filed with the SEC. Although Whitworth only joined the board in February, his contributions will likely be missed. In the last year, Sprint’s board has seen a lot of turmoil, with analysts concerned that the members wouldn’t be able to help turn the company around, but Whitworth, was considered an activist investor an instrumental member. Whitworth said he’s resigning to turn his attention to other business matters: “Now is the appropriate time for me to step down from the Sprint board. I have the utmost respect for Jim Hance [the chairman of the board] and Dan Hesse [Sprint CEO], as they are both strong leaders. The company is taking the necessary steps to improve performance, and while I expect it will take time, Sprint is on the right track to turn around the business.”

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Sven-Christer Nilsson will join the board, effective Nov. 10, and will be up for re-election during the the 2009 annual meeting. It is still undecided what committees he will serve on. Currently, Nilsson works with small companies as an advisor and board member, but previously he held various positions with The Ericsson (NSDQ: ERIC) Group, spanning from 1982 to 1999, including president and CEO from 1998 to 1999. Release.