Motorola Director Dies Unexpectedly

Motorola has announced the sudden death yesterday morning of Geoffrey Frost, executive vice president and Motorola's chief marketing officer. Geoffrey joined Motorola in 1999 and was instrumental in defining Motorola's brand mission. His legacy is a reinvigorated global brand - a brand that has rediscovered its roots and become cool again.

"This is a very sad day for all of us. Our thoughts and prayers are with Geoffrey's family," said Ed Zander, chairman and CEO. "Geoffrey was an innovative and charismatic leader, and Motorolans around the world came to rely on him as both a trusted colleague and a friend. Motorola and the marketing community have lost a creative genius."

In recognition of his achievements, he was recently named one of the marketers of the year for 2005 by Brand Week and Ad Age. Under Geoffrey's direction, Motorola has received an array of creative awards, including an "Effie" Award in 2000 for advertising effectiveness.

Prior to joining Motorola, Geoffrey was global director of advertising and brand communications for Nike, where he oversaw brand strategy, advertising, direct marketing and Nike.com. Highlights from his tenure at Nike include Michael Jordan's "Frozen Moment" and Tiger Woods' "Hello World" and "I am Tiger Woods" campaigns.

George Neill, corporate vice president of marketing, will lead Motorola's global marketing organization during this transition."

Posted to the site on 18th November 2005