With Google having sold Motorola to Lenovo, it’s likely that the Chinese company will want to appoint its own leader to the company it acquired for US$2.91 billion. Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside has seen the writing on the wall and looks to be headed to Dropbox. According to The Wall Street Journal and three unnamed sources “familiar with the matter,” Woodside is set to leave Motorola to become Dropbox’s first Chief Operating Officer.
Woodside, who spent more than 10 years with Google, took on the role of Motorola’s CEO when Google acquired the company in 2012. After a quiet start, Motorola released the Moto X and Moto G smartphones to overall positive reviews. Unfortunately, profitability remained elusive for the company, a factor that may have played a role in Google’s decision to sell the division.
At Dropbox, Woodside will work alongside Chief Executive Drew Houston and Chief Technology Officer Arash Ferdowsi, the company’s founders. He will focus on growing the company’s file storage business and other business software. With sales reportedly slowing after explosive growth in the company’s first few years, Woodside’s past experience managing Google’s relationships with partners and advertisers internationally could prove a huge asset to the company’s relatively young management team.
There is no word yet on who will take over as Motorola’s CEO.
Sources : The Wall Street Journal // 9to5Google