Robert Galvin, ex-Motorola CEO, dies aged 89

Robert William Galvin

Robert William Galvin, son of Motorola founder Paul Galvin and company CEO from 1959 to 1988, has died peacefully during the night of October 11, 2011, in Chicago aged 89 years old.

Galvin is credited with transforming Motorola from a successful national leader into a global corporation. When he took over the company in 1959 it had annual sales of $290 million. In the year he stepped down as chairman, 1990, it had sales of $10.8 billion, according to a statement released by the Galvin family.

Galvin presided over Motorola's moves into Europe, Southeast Asia, Israel, India, Japan, Latin America and China and was leading proponent of management and business leadership theory. Under his leadership, Motorola developed the Six Sigma Quality improvement system and disseminated its findings across the globe. Motorola received the U.S. Commerce Department's first-ever Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Manufacturing in 1988

Galvin was also an advisor on telecom regulation and government policy. Galvin was one of the executives who along with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Strauss helped drive U.S. pressure on Japan to open up its domestic semiconductor market in the mid-1990s.

In retirement Galvin was a writer and philanthropist who invested in think-tanks and academic institutions with an interest covering topics ranging from electricity supply to transportation and management. Galvin was highly honored for his achievements and had received the National Medal of Technology, the French Legion of Honor medal and the Founders Medal from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and most recently, the Marconi Society Lifetime Achievement Award.

While disagreement was considered a healthy sign at Motorola, Bob Galvin insisted on constant respect for people and uncompromising integrity.