[November 18, 2014]

UCLA Anderson School of Management Honors Qualcomm Executive Chairman Dr. Paul Jacobs with John Wooden Global Leadership Award

UCLA Anderson School of Management presented Dr. Paul Jacobs, Executive Chairman of Qualcomm (News - Alert) Incorporated, with the 2014 John Wooden Global Leadership Award on Nov. 17, 2014, at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles. Each year, the award is presented to an individual in corporate America who personifies the extraordinary leadership style as established by UCLA's legendary basketball coach, John Wooden.

Dr. Jacobs was selected as this year's recipient for his significant business success at Qualcomm as well as his upstanding leadership that mirrors the same high benchmarks of performance, integrity and ethical virtues set by Coach Wooden. He is credited with driving Qualcomm inventions that have propelled the evolution of wireless communications and creating a corporate culture that fosters innovation and encourages diversity within a company that boasts one of the most extensive continuing education programs in the country. During his tenure as CEO, Jacobs was listed as one of Glassdoor's highest rated CEOs based on employee feedback. His combined efforts have helped to rank the company as one of Fortune's '100 Best Companies to Work For.'

Jacobs joined Qualcomm full time in 1990 as a development engineer leading the mobile phone digital signal processor software team, following the completion of his Ph.D. and a year as a post-doctoral researcher at a French government lab in Toulouse. As a leader of a broad range of technical teams within Qualcomm, Jacobs was granted more than 40 patents for his inventions in the areas of wireless technology and devices. He became CEO in July 2005 and was appointed chairman of the board in 2009.

"Tonight we honor a leader who innovates, who teaches, who breeds passionate loyalty - exactly the kind of principled leadership that Coach demonstrated, by example," said UCLA Anderson Dean Judy Olian in her introduction. "Dr. Jacobs has been an innovative leader in the field of mobile communications and a key architect of Qualcomm's strategic vision, spearheading Qualcomm's efforts to develop and commercialize mobile technology breakthroughs.

"When he was leading the handset division of the company, he adopted the slogan, 'Lead through vision, not division,' and focused on what brought people together. That's a move right out of Coach's playbook. Coah liked to say, 'Much can be accomplished by teamwork when no one is concerned about who gets credit.'"

In her opening remarks Dean Olian also recognized this year's fellowship recipients, UCLA Anderson students who embody Coach Wooden's values that focus on ethics, team spirit, skill, hard work, service and loyalty. The fellows include: Nicole àBeckett (FEMBA '15); Elizabeth Pratt (MBA/MPP '16); and Derek Herrera (EMBA '15.)

The event continued with a tribute to Coach Wooden by legendary sports broadcaster Dick Enberg, followed by a discussion with Dr. Jacobs on leadership led by Kara Swisher (News - Alert), co-executive editor of Re/code, an independent tech news, reviews and analysis site. Topics ranged from the current state of communications and assuming the legacy of a successful company to the future of digital technology.

When Swisher asked about the importance of leadership and what he learned along the way, Dr. Jacobs indicated that he started with notion of "leading with a vision … You need to give those you work with something that they can be a part of -how they are going to change the world and improve their lives-finding ways to motivate people with something other than just new technology. Leading is something that is much bigger than just developing products."

According to Dr. Jacobs, Qualcomm has always had a kindred understanding of teamwork and relationships, insights that reflect principles of Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success .

"When you're a company doing what no one else has done, you can only be motivated by being your best, not by beating someone else," he said.

The evening concluded with Dr. Paul Jacobs receiving his award presented by Dean Olian.

About the John Wooden Global Leadership Award

As the most winning coach in men's college basketball, Wooden's legacy of leadership transcends athletics and spans generations. As a coach, prolific author and inspiring speaker, he dedicated his life to motivating individuals to achieve their highest potential. Wooden instilled in others a sense of pride, a commitment to ethics and a respect for teamwork.

UCLA Anderson extends these fundamental principles and Wooden's famous "Pyramid of Success" into the classroom through Wooden Global Leadership Program. For more information about the John Wooden Global Leadership Award, fellowships and UCLA Anderson School of Management, visit www.anderson.ucla.edu.

About UCLA Anderson School of Management

UCLA Anderson School of Management is among the leading business schools in the world, with faculty members globally renowned for their teaching excellence and research in advancing management thinking. Located in Los Angeles, gateway to the growing economies of Latin America and Asia and a city that personifies innovation in a diverse range of endeavors, UCLA Anderson's MBA, Fully-Employed MBA, Executive MBA, Global Executive MBA for Asia Pacific, Global Executive MBA for the Americas, Master of Financial Engineering, doctoral and executive education programs embody the school's Think In The Next ethos. Annually, some 1,800 students are trained to be global leaders seeking the business models and community solutions of tomorrow. Follow UCLA Anderson on Twitter (News - Alert) at http://twitter.com/UCLAAnderson or on Facebook (News - Alert) at http://www.facebook.com/uclaanderson.

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