????直到上周，很多人對于高通公司（Qualcomm）首席運營官史蒂夫?莫倫科普夫都知之甚少。上周四，彭博社（Bloomberg）報道稱，在無線行業擔任高管多年的莫倫科普夫成為微軟（Microsoft）下一任首席執行官候選人，其它候選人還包括：諾基亞（Nokia）前首席執行官史蒂芬?埃洛普，福特（Ford）首席執行官艾倫?穆拉利，以及現任微軟高管薩蒂亞?納德拉和托尼?貝茨等人。次日，高通宣布莫倫科普夫將接任首席執行官一職，當然是在高通，而不是微軟。

????在外人看來，高通發布這個消息有些突然，也有些令人意外。不過，高通現任首席執行官保羅?雅各布稱，這項繼任計劃已經籌備多時，只不過提前了幾年。雅各布向《財富》（Fortune）表示：“（莫倫科普夫）是這個職位的不二人選。他效力高通多年，對高通的企業文化十分了解。他幫助我們定義了高通的企業文化。我們之間的過渡十分平穩?！毖鸥鞑紝⒂诿髂耆滦度问紫瘓绦泄僖宦?，不過他將繼續擔任高通執行董事長。

????雅各布在接受《財富》電話采訪時不愿提及微軟。不過，很顯然，莫倫科普夫與微軟的對話使高通的首席執行官繼任計劃變得緊迫起來。高通對莫倫科普夫的任命引人注目，不光是因為莫倫科普夫將成為高通公司成立近30年來的第三任首席執行官，還因為他的兩位前任都是雅各布家族的成員。高通創始人兼首任CEO歐文?雅各布于2005年卸任，保羅?雅各布隨后子承父業。

????那么莫倫科普夫有何過人之處？他非常年輕，只有44歲，而且整個職業生涯都在高通度過。莫倫科普夫擁有電氣工程學學位。（他在“功率測量與估算、多制式傳輸系統和無線通信收發技術”等領域獲得過多項專利。）擔任芯片部門負責人期間，他幫助高通一舉成為全球最大的移動芯片供應商。換句話說，除了雅各布家族成員，莫倫科普夫是最有希望執掌高通的人。

????首席執行官的穩定更替對高通管理層和董事會至關重要。它同時也反映了高通的企業文化：高通的大部分高管都在這家公司奮斗了很多年。當然，“沉穩”這個特點同樣也滲透到了高通的公司戰略上：高通作為一家芯片企業，雖然也在竭力拓展新的市場，但它依然維持著相當廣闊的市場份額（和收入來源）。高通避免在零售領域拋頭露面，但它不又甘心只做一家供應商，而是選擇成為整個行業的基石，從而從整個移動通信科技領域獲利。高通芯片廣泛應用于包括蘋果（Apple）、三星（Samsung）、LG在內的大量主流智能手機。

????這意味著高通非常在意自己略顯呆板但又充滿創新的企業文化。高通為了進軍下一個充滿商機的市場，在吸引和挽留人才方面可謂不遺余力。（請參看：《包羅萬象，無所不能，看高通在嵌入式芯片領域大展身手》一文。）

????雖然高通的突然任命最初讓人震驚，但觀察人士認為，莫倫科普夫掌舵后高通的公司戰略將基本保持平穩。而這一點無疑可以從莫倫科普夫的背景中看出。

????If you hadn't heard much about Qualcomm (QCOM) COO Steve Mollenkopf until last week, you're not alone. On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft (MSFT) was seriously considering the longtime wireless executive for its top job, along with a long list of potential successors, including former Nokia head Stephen Elop, Ford CEO Alan Mulally, and current Microsoft execs Satya Nadella and Tony Bates. The following morning, it was announced that Mollenkopf would indeed ascend to the CEO spot -- but at Qualcomm, not Microsoft.

????From the outside, the announcement came swiftly and unexpectedly. According to Qualcomm's Paul Jacobs, however, the succession plan has been in the works for a while and was only sped up by a couple of years. "He's just the right guy," Jacobs told Fortune. "He's been in the Qualcomm culture for so long. He's helped define it. This is a very smooth transition plan." Jacobs will step down in March and will remain on board as executive chairman.

????Jacobs wouldn't utter the name "Microsoft" on the call. But it's clear that whatever talks Mollenkopf and Microsoft were engaged in, it added a sense of urgency to Qualcomm's succession plan. The move is notable not just because Mollenkopf will be just the third CEO in Qualcomm's nearly 30-year history, but he'll also be the first leader whose last name isn't Jacobs. The company's founding chief executive, Irwin Jacobs, served until 2005. Then his son Paul took over.

????So what's so special about Mollenkopf? He's young -- just 44 years old -- but has spent his entire career at Qualcomm. His background is in electrical engineering. (He holds patents in "power estimation and measurement, multi-standard transmitter system, and wireless communication transceiver technology.") As head of the company's chipset business, he helped build Qualcomm into the world's largest wireless chip supplier. In other words, he's the closest thing to a Jacobs family member that Qualcomm could have at the helm.

????That continuity is extremely important for Qualcomm's management team and board. It's also reflective of the company's culture: Many of Qualcomm's other top executives have also been there for decades. That preference for stability seeps into its business strategy, too: Though the chipmaker constantly tries to push its components into new markets, it has maintained a sizable presence (and revenue stream) by shunning the retail limelight and choosing to be a supplier, profiting off the efforts of nearly the entire technology industry, rather than a single vendor. Qualcomm chips are found in many top smartphones, including those from Apple (AAPL), Samsung, and LG Electronics.

????Which means Qualcomm is more concerned with maintaining its nerdy, innovative culture; attracting and retaining the right talent at its San Diego-based headquarters and elsewhere; and, most importantly, pushing for its next big market. (Hint: pretty much anything and everything Qualcomm can embed its chips into.)

????Despite the initial surprise of the announcement, onlookers expect little shift in Qualcomm's strategy with Mollenkopf at the helm. And that, perhaps, is the most striking aspect of the announcement -- and Mollenkopf's background.