Motorola
Motorola Inc. named Hamid Ahmadi its first chief architect, with responsibility for developing a unified architectural framework and leading strategic hardware and software architecture planning across all business units. Ahmadi will report to Padmasree Warrior, the company’s executive vice president and chief technology officer. Ahmadi previously was vice president and chief technology officer at IBM for the company’s Global Communications Sector. Before that he held leadership positions at AT&T Labs.
Qualcomm
Andrew Gilbert has been named president of Qualcomm Europe. Gilbert, who will be based in London, will be responsible for all of Qualcomm Inc.’s European business. He succeeds Pertti Johansson, who is transitioning to the role of president of Qualcomm Middle East and Africa. Previously, Gilbert was vice president and general manager of Flarion Europe, and he also has held sales, marketing and management roles at telecom vendors including Motorola Inc.
CPS
Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd. named Simon Wilkinson to its board of directors as a non-executive director. Wilkinson is senior vice president and general manager of content and services organization at Openwave Systems Inc. Before that he was chief executive officer of U.K. wireless messaging company Magic4.
Openwave
Openwave Systems Inc. appointed Marc Levante chief technology officer. Levante joins the company from Vodafone Group plc, where he was director of technology development. He also led the Radio and Access Transmission Competence Center in Vodafone Global in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Qwest
Qwest Communications International Inc. named Laura Sankey vice president of marketing communications, where she will oversee the company’s marketing communications, advertising, Hispanic marketing, competitive intelligence and market research. Sankey previously was vice president of marketing for Coors Brewing Co.
Calypso
Alessandro Valenti joined Calypso Wireless Inc. as vice president of research and development. He will be charged with overseeing the development of Calypso’s ASNAP Server Controller. Valenti co-founded Sleipner SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Calypso.
Panasonic
Panasonic Computer Solutions Co. selected Victoria Obenshain to lead the company’s wireless strategy for its Toughbook notebook computers. Most recently, Obenshain was director of business channel marketing and sales and business development for Cingular Wireless L.L.C.
Prime
Michael Orchard joined wireless retailer Prime Communications as its chief financial officer, succeeding Akbar Mohamed, who recently was named chief operations officer at the company. Orchard previously was Nextel Communications Inc.’s area vice president for the Texas/Louisiana market. He also has held executive and management-level positions at Cingular Wireless L.L.C., BellSouth Cellular Corp. and GTE Mobilnet.
USA Mobility
USA Mobility Inc. named Mark Garzone executive vice president of marketing. Garzone most recently was vice president of marketing at Nextel Communications Inc.
MSV
Mobile Satellite Ventures appointed Scott Macleod chief financial officer. Macleod joins the company from Rothschild Inc., where he was responsible for its North American Telecom practice. Prior to that, he was chief corporate development officer at XO Communications.
