Managing Innovation at Motorola

Innovation Roundtable

February 2, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Motorola is a global leader when it comes to innovation. Learn how the Company leads development of new breakthrough products and technologies that ultimately become key elements of success for various high volume businesses at Motorola. Case studies will be described, including the iRadio product.

Add Event to Outlook

Where

Gleacher Center
Room 100
450 N. Cityfront Plaza
Chicago, Illinois

Who

Jim O'Connor
VP of Technology Incubation and Commercialization
Motorola

Program

5:30 pm - 6:00 pm : Networking
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm : Guest Speaker
7:00 pm - 7:30 pm : Discussion

Registration

Register Online
Register via Email
Register by Phone: 847.722.1736

Please register by January 26

Questions

James Adams, '98
847.722.1736

Speaker Profiles

Jim O'Connor
VP of Technology Incubation and Commercialization, Motorola

Jim O'Connor is Vice President of Technology Incubation and Commercialization at Motorola. In this role, Jim's operational responsibilities include working closely with a global team of 5,000 technologists, prioritizing technology programs, creating value from intellectual property, guiding creative research from innovation through early-stage commercialization, and influencing standards and roadmaps. He is responsible for leading the development of new breakthrough products and technologies that ultimately become key elements of success for various high volume businesses at Motorola. Previous to this role, Jim was Managing Director and co-founder of Motorola Ventures, the corporate venture capital investment arm of Motorola, Inc. During this time, Jim oversaw the creation of investment operations in Silicon Valley, Europe, Israel and China and completed over 100 venture transactions. He led Motorola's investments into Mesh Networks, 4th Pass, Molecular Imprints, Dilithium Networks, BDNA, Amberpoint, SkyBitz, DiBcom, Entropic Communications, Apertio, Bitfone, Magic4, Foundstone and Xtreme Spectrum.

He co-founded Motorola Ventures in September 1999 following a year of service in the US government as a White House Fellow appointed by President William Jefferson Clinton. He was chosen by and served his assignment through Treasury Secretaries Robert Rubin and Larry Summers. During his time at the Treasury Department, he was responsible for coordinating strategies on domestic financial policy, electronic commerce and community development policy. Prior to his public service, Jim worked as a Management Consultant with the global management consultancy A.T. Kearney out of Chicago where he focused on strategic and operational issues with Fortune 100 companies. Jim received his BA and JD from Georgetown University where he lettered in crew and football and was named an East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) All-Star and GTE Academic All-American. He received his MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management where he received the Dean's Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Jim was named a Henry Crown Leadership Fellow by the Aspen Institute in 2004, a United States— Japan Leadership fellow in 2000 and a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow in 2000. Jim remains active in the local Chicago community as Co-Chair of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, which is a national model for public-private partnerships that are established to assist entrepreneurs. He is a Board Member of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. Jim is also the founder of Kellogg Corps, a non-profit entrepreneurial program at the Northwestern J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management whose mission is to bring management expertise to non-profit organizations in developing countries. In addition, Jim is an Advisory Board Member of the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He serves as an Advisory Board Member of the NanoBusiness Alliance, the preeminent nanotechnology public policy organization in the United States. He founded the Field Associates, the Field Museum's young professional Board, as well as the Lyric Opera Auxiliary Board, the Lyric Opera's Young Professional Board. Jim also serves on the Board for the Chicago Urban League, the Children's Home & Aid Society, the Chicago Cities in Schools Program (CCIS), the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL), as well as the Big Shoulders Board for the Archdiocese of Chicago's inner-city school fund. He was awarded the Motorola CEO Award for Volunteerism in 2002. He was awarded the Motorola CEO Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2004. He is a member of the American Bar Association, The Economic Club of Chicago (ECC) and The Executives' Club of Chicago (EC).