Qualcomm scoops up Lauer as executive VP

RESTON, Va.-Sprint Nextel’s former operations chief, Len Lauer, who was fired from the company earlier this year following Sprint Nextel’s disastrous second-quarter financial performance, has landed at Sprint Nextel’s technology partner Qualcomm Inc. Lauer will be Qualcomm’s corporate executive vice president and group president of several key Qualcomm divisions, including the company’s Wireless Business Solutions, MEMS Technologies, Government Technologies and the company’s mobile TV subsidiary, MediaFLO USA.
“Len is a seasoned executive with a tremendous amount of leadership experience within the wireless industry,” said Qualcomm President Steven Altman. “His background and expertise provides Qualcomm with a valuable perspective on increasingly complex and competitive markets as he helps Qualcomm expand business opportunities and further strengthen its relationships with operators and content providers.”
Separately, Qualcomm veteran Sanjay Jha was appointed as the company’s new chief operating officer. Jha will oversee corporate research and development and Qualcomm Flarion Technologies (QFT), in addition to continuing as president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT). Prior to being named COO, Jha was a company executive vice president.
Both the positions are effectively new ones. Tony Thornley was president and COO for Qualcomm before he retired in 2005. No one has held the COO position since that time.
In a related announcement, Sprint Nextel’s Board of Directors named President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Forsee to serve as the company’s chairman. Forsee replaces Tim Donahue, who retires as executive chairman at the end of this month.
“As Sprint Nextel moves forward, we are pleased that Gary Forsee will now lead the board,” said Irvine Hockaday, chairman of the company’s nominating and corporate governance committee, and lead independent director. “Sprint Nextel has the assets, brands and strategic direction in place, and we are confident under Gary’s leadership that the company’s goals will be realized.”
Forsee has served as president and chief executive officer of Sprint Nextel since the company’s merger with Nextel in August 2005, and before that served as CEO and chairman of Sprint, starting in March and May 2003, respectively.