What do you call a man who spends 30 years of his working life in one company? Of course, loyalty and commitment to the company is just one aspect but the person, in course of time, assumes a stature larger than the life itself. No wonder Samir T Desai, Senior VP and GM, Motorola and Iden Networks and Devices, is one such individual who has not only become synonymous with Motorola but emerged as the very face of it. Loved to be called 'Sam', Samir Desai earned his BS degree in physics and electrical engineering from two universities in India. He then moved to the US where he received an MBA degree from Loyola University, Chicago, and an MS in electrical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. Lauching his career low profile, Sam joined Motorola in 1973 as an engineer.

Over the years, Sam not only shouldered a range of managerial responsibilities but also climbed professional ladders rapidly with aplomb. From 1993 to 1999, Desai was general manager of the iDEN Subscriber Group, based in Plantation, Florida. From 1999 to 2000, he was senior Vice President and General Manager of the iDEN Subscriber Group and Networks Business worldwide manufacturing and logistics. His expertise and leadership in this position produced higher profitability and growth for the iDEN Subscriber business as well as improved manufacturing margins and cost reduction of several hundred million dollars for the supply chain operation. He then served as senior Vice President and director of e-Business and business transformation for the company's Communications Enterprise.

In this role, he was responsible for driving common business processes across the enterprise and serving as chief information officer. From 2001 to 2002, Sam served as senior Vice President and deputy to the President of the Motorola Personal Devices Business, where he focused on engineering, quality, and programme management teams. From 2002 to 2004, Desai served as Motorola's chief information officer. As a General Manager, Sam provided senior leadership and focus for the iDEN business and its relationships with its carrier customers. The new appointment is a continuance of Desai's successful history with Motorola's iDEN business, which he founded in the early 1990s.

In fact, it was Desai's leadership which enabled him assume greater responsibilities. He has been instrumental in growing the company's business to what it is today and forming strategic partnership with Nextel. iDEN technology is used by Nextel and other carriers, including Southern LINC, Nextel Partners, Boost Mobile, and NII Holdings, to provide wireless communication services that include push-to-talk two-way radio service. Apart from his work in Motorola, Desai has served on the board of directors of the United Way and the Museum of Discovery and Science in South Florida. Known for his administrative and managerial skills, Sam's multi-dimensional talent has found a far greater expression within the Motorola than outside it. This is largely because Sam believes in giving 100 per cent of himself to the company he works for and results clearly speak volumes of his achievement and success.