Motorola President, COO Zafirovski Resigns

LONDON — Mike Zafirovski has resigned from Motorola Inc. and will leave his posts of president and chief operating officer at the end of this month to pursue other opportunities.

Zafirovski had been considered a candidate for the chief executive post at Motorola in December 2003 following the departure of former CEO Chris Galvin. However, he was passed over for the top job. Ed Zander, a former senior executive at Sun Microsystems Inc., was eventually hired as chairman and CEO.

A Motorola spokeswoman said the company has no plans to fill the COO post. Zander has assumed those responsibilities.

Late last year, Motorola announced a major reorganization of its business units — mobile devices, networks, government and enterprise mobility solutions and connected home solutions — in which the presidents of the groups now report directly to Zander.

In a statement Wednesday (Jan. 12), Zafirovski said: "This is the right time for me to start considering other opportunities."A 24-year veteran of GE before joining Motorola in June 2002, Zafirovski is more likely to be looking for a top spot within the technology industry.