With Google’s purchase of Motorola nearing completion, some anonymous sources close to the situation have revealed that a management shakeup is in the works too. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha will be replaced by veteran Googler Dennis Woodside when the deal comes to a close.
Woodside is no stranger to the Google-Motorola situation — in addition to serving as an SVP and President of Google Americas, Woodside was also chosen to lead Motorola Mobility’s integration into Google last September. Though Woodside’s selection for the spot isn’t a huge surprise considering his role in bringing the two companies together, earlier rumors indicated that Google Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora would eventually be the one to take Motorola Mobility’s helm.
No word yet on when the shakeup will officially occur, but it’s quite the move for Motorola Mobility. Since Jha became CEO of Motorola’s Mobile Devices division in mid-2008, the company went from producing occasionally-handsome featurephones to becoming a major player in the smartphone space thanks to their timely adoption of the Android platform.
While Mr. Jha can probably see the light at the end of the tunnel, he still has some time left to enjoy his position. Though both the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission warily signed off on the transaction, Google still needs approval from China, Taiwan, and Israel before they the deal can be finalized.
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