US communications giant Motorola has appointed a new CPO – the third person to fill the post in the last two years.
Judy Baranowski (pictured) takes over the reins from Rita Lane, who earlier this month was promoted to head up its Integrated Supply Chain (ISC) organisation. She in turn replaces former IBM executive Stuart Reed, who has been made president of the company’s troubled mobile devices division.
Baranowski is the third occupant of the CPO’s office since Motorola’s CEO, Ed Zander, fired Theresa Metty in controversial circumstances in April 2005. Her replacement, Anthony Mampilly, stayed in the job only about six months and was eventually replaced by Lane in June last year.
Baranowski has been in charge of quality within the ISC since joining Motorola in June 2005 from AlixPartners, a Detroit-based consulting firm. Her previous supply chain management experience includes senior roles at Eaton Corporation and Allied Signal/Honeywell.
The management reshuffle comes at a difficult time for Motorola. Last week it announced a net loss for the second quarter, with earnings down almost 20 per cent on the same period in 2006. Sales of its mobile handsets were 40 per cent lower and the company said the division – its biggest – was unlikely to be profitable this year.
Greg Brown, chief operating officer and Reed’s new boss, promised “aggressive cost controls” in an effort to reverse its fortunes.
Motorola has been unable to emulate the huge global success of its RAZR flip-phone, which recently shipped its 100 millionth unit.
