San Diego-based Qualcomm Inc. announced Tuesday that its board of directors unanimously selected 25-year company veteran Cristiano Amon to succeed Steve Mollenkopf as CEO, effective June 30.
Amon, 50, joined the telecommunications company in 1995 as an engineer and has held the title of president since January 2018.
Mollenkopf, 52, informed the board of his decision last year to retire as CEO following 26 years with the company. He will continue his employment with Qualcomm as a strategic adviser for an unspecified period of time.
Mollenkopf, who became CEO in March 2014, began his career as an engineer. His work helped propel the advance of smartphones and 3G, 4G and now 5G technologies. and he also oversaw the expansion into new industry segments such as the "Internet of Things," radio frequency front end and automotive.
"I am immensely proud of all that we have accomplished at Qualcomm and the position the company currently enjoys as the world's leader in wireless technologies," Mollenkopf said. "With our business model clearly validated and our leadership in 5G, this is the right time for Cristiano to assume leadership of the company and preside over what I see as the single largest opportunity in the company's history."
As president, Amon has been responsible for Qualcomm's semiconductor business and the company's global operations, as well as overseeing its 5G strategy. He also serves as the co-chairman of the World Economic Forum Internet of Things Council.
"I am honored to be named the next CEO of Qualcomm and appreciate the confidence that Steve and the board have in me," Amon said. "Qualcomm is an incredible company. We have been at the forefront of innovation for decades and I look forward to maintaining this position going forward.
"The need for our solutions has never been more pronounced and our leadership position has never been more evident," he said. "I look forward to working with our 41,000 employees around the world to create technologies that revolutionize the way people live, work and connect with each other."
