Motorola's consumer handset chief resigns

On Wednesday, a company representative told ZDNet.co.uk that Shaddock, who became a senior vice president in the mobile devices division in April this year, had been a "valued member of the team." Shaddock will be replaced by Motorola veteran John Cipolla in what is expected to be a "seamless" transition, the representative said.

Motorola's handset division is in the process of being spun off from the rest of the company. Ex-Qualcomm executive Sanjay Jha took over as chief executive of the division at the start of this month.

The last year or two have proven fraught for the Chicago-area communications equipment manufacturer, which is generally perceived as not having had a hit in the marketplace since the Razr in 2004. Several key figures have resigned over the past 12 months, including two chief technology officers, a strategy chief, and a chief executive.

David Meyer of ZDNet UK reported from London.