Motorola – Qualcomm Chief Will Head Handset Spinoff

NEW YORK – Motorola Inc. snagged Sanjay Jha, the chief operating officer of Qualcomm Inc. and a star of the wireless industry, to head its handset division as that unit prepares to become an independent company.

Jha will also be co-chief executive of the parent company, sharing the responsibility with incumbent Greg Brown until the spinoff next year. Brown will take responsibility for Motorola’s other two divisions.

Motorola shares rose 89 cents, 10 percent, to $9.70 in afternoon trading Monday.

Analysts uniformly praised the appointment.

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