Qualcomm named Steve Mollenkopf (pictured) as its next CEO – shortly after a Bloomberg report identified the executive as a candidate for the top job at Microsoft.

In a statement, Qualcomm said its board had “unanimously approved a succession plan for executive management of the company”, which will see the company’s current president and COO taking the helm from 4 March 2014.

Paul Jacobs, incumbent CEO, will take on the executive chairman position, “helping guide development of new technology and Qualcomm’s long-term opportunities”.

Mollenkopf has spent nearly 20 years at Qualcomm, and has previously led its chipset unit. He was at the helm when this business made its $3.1 billion acquisition of Atheros, its largest deal to date.

According to Bloomberg, Mollenkopf was on a list of “several choices under serious consideration” for the Microsoft role, highlighting Qualcomm’s strength in mobile.