Motorola Inc. is streamlining product oversight in its phone business as it searches for a CEO to run the operation, which it plans to spin off as a separate company.
Rob Shaddock, who was senior VP for the company’s feature phones, such as the Razr, is now head of consumer products. He will take over responsibilities for multimedia phones, such as the Rokr. Steve Lalla will continue to oversee the company’s mass-market phones.
Shaddock will also add oversight of software teams working on phone products, which is a change from the company’s previous structure. Lack of coordination between software and hardware teams has been cited as a reason Motorola has sometimes missed deadlines for new products.
The company said the moves were made by CEO Greg Brown — who’s overseeing mobile devices until a new leader is found — to enforce more accountability in product development.
A weak product line, particularly in multimedia devices, has been a key reason why Motorola’s phone market share has fallen by nearly half in the past year and helped lead to the decision to spin off the division.
Motorola hasn’t said whether it’s close naming a new CEO of the handset business.
John Pletz is a reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business, a sister publication for RCR Wireless News. Both publications are owned by Crain Communications Inc.
