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Motorola Mobility CEO Dennis Woodside headed to Dropbox

Motorola Mobility CEO Dennis Woodside headed to Dropbox

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Last month Google announced that it was selling off Motorola Mobility to Lenovo, and the inevitable executive shakeup is coming to pass. According to The Wall Street Journal Dennis Woodside, who became Motorola Mobility's CEO when Mountain View bought the company, is headed to Dropbox as the company's first chief operating officer.

Woodside had actually been an executive at Google for years before taking the Motorola job, and made such an impression in Silicon Valley that Apple's Tim Cook actually tried to hire him away from the company at one point. However, despite overseeing phones like the Moto X, Woodside was unable to jumpstart Motorola's mobile business, which eventually lead to the Lenovo sale. According to the Journal's report, Woodside will be stepping in to provide oversight of Dropbox's growing business, which under current management has reportedly lacked the kind of high-level experience that someone of Woodside's caliber can provide.

Update: One day after the Journal's report, Woodside has confirmed he's headed to Dropbox at the end of March. In a farewell letter posted at Motorola's blog, Woodside says, "This was not an easy decision to make, but I leave knowing that Motorola is in great hands - now and in the future." He proudly highlights several of Motorola's accomplishments under Google, with a particular focus on the customizations made possible with Moto Maker, the well-received Moto X, and more. "It was astonishing to be a part of," says Woodside.

When it comes to Lenovo, Woodside sends a vote of confidence to Motorola Mobility's future home. "I have no doubt the two companies together will be a force for good in the mobile industry," he says. Longtime Google employee Jonathan Rosenberg will become Motorola's COO on April 1st, a move intended to help ensure the transition to Lenovo goes smoothly.