Rich Nottenburg, Motorola’s chief strategy and technology officer, has become the latest high-profile executive to leave the vendor. Like previous senior resignations in recent months – including former CEO Ed Zander – Nottenburg’s decision is reportedly linked to the increasing influence at board level of activist investor Carl Icahn, who now controls 7.5 percent of the company, and has two representatives on Motorola’s board of directors. 

Nottenburg joined Motorola in 2004, becoming chief strategy officer later that year. In December last year he also took on the role of chief technology officer as a replacement for Padmasree Warrior, who left to assume the same position at Cisco Systems. The company confirmed Nottenburg’s resignation last week noting only that he had left to “pursue other opportunities.” Other recent high-profile departures include Mobile Device division president Stu Reed and chief marketing officer Kenneth Keller.