Qualcomm President Derek Aberle who was closely fighting a legal battle with Apple is leaving the company after successfully serving for 17 years.
“Aberle served as President of Qualcomm Incorporated and helped drive the company’s overall global strategy and vision as a member of Qualcomm’s Executive Committee. His departure will be effective as of December 31, 2017,” Qualcomm announced today.
Since 2008, Aberle has been associated with Qualcomm’s executive team and has played a vital role in licensing negotiations with domestic manufacturers and the Chinese government.
“I am very proud to have been a part of [Qualcomm’s] tradition of innovation, and of all that we’ve been able to accomplish during my tenure,” said Aberle.
After the handover, Alex Rogers, who now runs QTL and is a member of Qualcomm’s Executive Committee, will report directly to Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf.
During his tenure leading QTL, Rogers has helped conclude key licensing agreements in China, been involved in numerous IP and regulatory matters and launched new teams within QTL focused on technology, product strategy, compliance and relationship management.
Chip maker Qualcomm has been legally fighting with Apple and four of its top suppliers over and patents. In July, Qualcomm has filed a lawsuit against Apple saying that Cupertino-based giant has infringed on six patents that aided iPhone battery life.
Qualcomm has also asked the US authorities to ban imports of some of the affected iPhone models. While it is still unclear as to which models would be affected by such this ban, Qualcomm wants the US authorities to figure out iPhones are using processors from different manufacturers.