Motorola names new CFO

Motorola appointed Paul J. Liska its new chief financial officer, effective March 1. Liska--"a cost cutter and deal maker with deep ties in private equity," according to The Wall Street Journal--replaces acting CFO Tom Meredith, who will continue as a non-management board member. Prior to joining Motorola, Liska served as an industrial partner for private equity firms including MidOcean Partners, CVC Capital Holdings and Ripplewood Holdings LLC--from 2004 to 2006, he was executive chairman of US Freightways until its purchase by Yellow Roadway Corporation, and from 2001 to 2004, he held a series of positions with Sears, Roebuck and Co., including president of credit and financial products and executive vice president and chief financial officer. Liska joins Motorola in the midst of CEO Greg Brown's continued search for buyers or partners for the company's core mobile devices division: "We are fortunate that Paul has such a broad set of general management and CFO experiences," Brown said in a prepared statement. "Paul will be a very valuable addition to our team and he is well-suited to drive forward the important work already underway to enhance our financial performance."

For more on the Liska hire:
-read this release
- Video: Motorola's buyer woes

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