Qualcomm Inc. announced that Dr. James H. Thompson, executive vice president of engineering, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., has been appointed to the additional position of chief technology officer (CTO). Matt Grob, executive vice president and CTO, will transition to the role of executive vice president of technology and continue to report to Steve Mollenkopf.

In addition to leading QCT engineering, as CTO, Thompson will align the companywide technical and product roadmaps across all business areas. He also will have oversight of Corporate R&D and Corporate Engineering, ensuring all research and development activities are coordinated across the company, and drive the development of next-generation wireless technologies.

“Jim is a seasoned veteran within the mobile industry and brings strong technology and product leadership to continue to drive the invention of technologies at speed and scale, and to continue Qualcomm’s more than 30-year history of innovation,” said Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated. “For nearly six years, Matt has played a critical role in leading Qualcomm’s reputation for technology excellence and we look forward to continue working with Matt in his new role.”

Thompson has been a member of Qualcomm’s Executive Committee since 2012 and has led QCT engineering since 2004 with responsibility for creating and executing on Qualcomm's industry-leading roadmap. Throughout his tenure, Thompson has served in critical engineering leadership roles as the company established leads in WCDMA, LTE, Wi-Fi, camera, video, graphics, audio and DSP technologies.

Thompson received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.