Qualcomm Inc. announced the appointment of Matt Grob as executive vice president and chief technology officer, responsible for shaping Qualcomm’s technical path, helping to coordinate R&D activities across the company, driving development of next-generation wireless technologies, and representing the company’s technologies and direction with external audiences and universities.
Grob also will continue to lead Qualcomm’s corporate R&D division and provide oversight to Qualcomm Corporate Engineering Services. Roberto Padovani, who has decided to transition out of his role as CTO, will remain an executive vice president and will continue to provide his guidance in support of Qualcomm’s research, development, standards and emerging technology efforts.
“Matt’s focused leadership and his vision into new technology horizons make him ideally suited to lead Qualcomm’s innovation agenda as chief technology officer,” says Dr. Paul Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of Qualcomm. “For nearly 10 years, Roberto has played a pivotal role in establishing Qualcomm’s reputation for technology excellence. We are fortunate that Qualcomm will continue to benefit from his seasoned expertise.”
Grob joined Qualcomm in 1991 as an engineer working on modem designs and firmware for government projects. His contributions have included system design, standardization and project leadership for programs such as early CDMA data services, the Globalstar satellite system and later 1x EV-DO wireless Internet access technology.
Grob’s achievements in cellular data research led to progressive leadership positions in developing advanced 3G technologies. Since his promotion to senior vice president of corporate R&D in 2006, Grob has expanded the group’s mission beyond wireless connectivity into new areas such as augmented reality, wireless charging, processor and applications enhancements and peer-to-peer technologies. Grob has more than 60 patents granted in the fields of wireless communication and cellular technology.
