Qualcomm nabs former Intel exec as CMO to boost chipset marketing

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) named former veteran Intel executive Anand Chandrasekher as its new CMO to boost the chipset giant's marketing profile around the world.

Anand Chandrasekher qualcomm

Chandrasekher

Chandrasekher will oversee global marketing and external communications and will report to Qualcomm COO Steve Mollenkopf. Chandrasekher left Intel in March 2011 but was most recently the senior vice president and general manager for Intel's Ultra Mobility Group, with responsibility for the Intel Atom processor family. Intel has been trying for the past several years to move into the mobile computing market to better compete with the likes of Qualcomm, Nvidia, Texas Instruments and other licensees of ARM Holdings. 

During his nearly 25-years at Intel, Chandrasekher held a variety of leadership roles including head of Intel's Worldwide Sales and Marketing Group and corporate vice president of the Mobile Platforms Group. He is best known for pushing Intel to market the Centrino platform.

In mobile, Chandrasekher will likely have an easier time marketing Qualcomm's products than he did at Intel, simply because of Qualcomm's established presence in the market. However, he may be looking to beef up the image of Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor, which while well-known within the mobile industry is not as much of a household name.

One area where Qualcomm may be planning a bigger marketing push is in emerging markets such as China. Chipset manufacturers, faced with maturing markets and weaker economic conditions in the United States and Europe, are increasingly turning to low-cost smartphones in China to improve their sales. Qualcomm, Broadcom, MediaTek and other silicon vendors are hoping to get into devices that sell for around $160. Even though such devices often generate lower margins, the increased sales could help fatten chipset makers' revenues.

For more:
- see this release
- see this WSJ article (sub. req.)

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