Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated, was the featured guest for a breakfast Signature Event on December 7th. During his conversation with David Rubenstein, Mollenkopf emphasized the company’s success in connecting people around the world in quality ways, as well as Qualcomm’s leadership in the development of 5G technologies. Mollenkopf said that Qualcomm’s goal over the next 30 years “will really be about how we connect everything in the world so that everything is into each other.”
Mollenkopf discussed the creation and evolution of the smartphone, and where he sees the future of mobile technology going. On the topic of who invented the smartphone, Mollenkopf said “The smartphone is sort of like pasta,” noting that many people take some credit for contributing to its development, but added that Qualcomm has a claim on the technology that made the smartphone possible. Moving forward, he sees 5G as a disruptor that will ultimately improve connectivity across all industries, and Qualcomm as a leader in those developments.
Additionally, Mollenkopf discussed Qualcomm’s ongoing challenges and acquisitions. Most notably, he mentioned the company’s dispute with Broadcom, which has gone hostile with a take-over bid for Qualcomm. While the decision to sell is ultimately up to the shareholders, Mollenkopf noted that Broadcom’s initial offer of $70 per share is too low. “We’re pretty comfortable with where we’re going to take the company, and we’ll let the shareholders decide,” he said. Mollenkopf also commented on Qualcomm’s major legal battle with Apple, saying that, “...big technology companies always have a complicated relationship… the challenge of being a CEO in a big technology company, is you have to try to figure out how to resolve all of those things.”
To view additional highlights and excerpts from the event, please click here.
View news coverage of the signature event featuring Mollenkopf here.
