Virgin Mobile, Qualcomm get new CMOs

Virgin Mobile USA Inc. announced that it has promoted Bob Stohrer to chief marketing officer of the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). Stohrer, who served as VP of brand and integrated marketing, will replace Howard Handler, who’s leaving the company after serving as CMO since its inception.
“I’m excited to build on the marketing accomplishments delivered over the past five years, and look forward to defining new an innovative ways to continue to drive demand for the brand,” Stohrer said. “Virgin Mobile is fundamentally a consumer champion and category challenger, and we won’t be bashful when it comes to pointing out why we’re a better way to go wireless.”
Stohrer and Handler both joined the MVNO in 2003 and have created some of the company’s most visible campaigns, including “Nothing to Hide”– the naked campaign, “Chrismahanukwanzakah,” and this year’s “You Rule” campaign.
Stohrer previously worked at National Football League Properties as VP and creative director.
Qualcomm’s executive moves
Separately, Qualcomm Inc. said it will shuffle executives to bolster global growth and named CEO Paul Jacobs’ brother, Jeff Jacobs, to the new post of chief marketing officer, the company said yesterday.
Whether the newly created post will also include an effort to present a “kinder, gentler” Qualcomm remains to be seen — the CMO will be charged with, among other things, external communications. Qualcomm said in a statement that the CMO position and other executive changes would bring better global representation to its executive team and unify its services-related businesses.
Jeff Jacobs, currently an executive VP, had been working in global business development for the past several years, according to the company. His new duties include overseeing global marketing, external communications and standards-related efforts by the company. Qualcomm had recently been chastised by a federal judge in a patent case in Santa Ana, Calif., for manipulating certain standards-setting groups to build its business in royalty-bearing intellectual property.
Len Lauer, former COO at Sprint Nextel Corp., who joined Qualcomm last year, will lead all services-related businesses, including the company’s Qualcomm Internet Services/MediaFLO Technologies (QIS/MFT), MediaFLO USA, government technologies group and enterprise services, among other major businesses.
Peggy Johnson, formerly president of QIS/MFT, has been named executive VP for the Americas and India. Other executive re-assignments include Jing Wang, who will serve as EVP for the Asia Pacific and Middle East/Africa regions. Andrew Gilbert will serve as president of QIS/MFT and Qualcomm Europe.