Padmasree Warrior, chief technology officer, Motorola, and the driving force behind the mobile major's growth and innovative successes, has quit the company even as the company's chief executive officer Ed Zander decided to give up his job at the end of the year.

Technology giant Cisco has meanwhile hired Padmasree Warrior as its chief technology officer.

"Padmasree's new role as CTO will help to develop and promote Cisco's future technology leadership," said Cisco chief John Chambers in a press release. Warrior will report directly to Chambers.

Warrior was with Motorola since 1984 and is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (from where she received her bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering). She then obtained her master of science degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University.

She was also the company's first female executive vice president.

At Motorola, Warrior was also responsible for the success of Motorola Labs, the global software group and emerging early-stage businesses of the company. Her operational responsibilities included leading a global team of 4,600 technologists, prioritising technology programmes, creating value from intellectual property, guiding creative research from innovation through early-stage commercialisation, and influencing standards and roadmaps.

She also served as a technology advisor to the office of the chairman and to the board's technology and design steering committee.

Warrior is one of the highest ranking Indian-American women in the field of technology in the United States.

Photograph: Padmasree Warrior accepting the National Medal of Technology Award from President George W Bush on behalf of Motorola at the White House on February 13, 2006. File photo.