Motorola has hired John Bucher as corporate vice president of strategy for Motorola’s Mobile Devices and Home business.

Bucher’s background is in wireless telephony. He served at wireless carriers now part of Verizon but has spent much of his career as a financial analyst. 

Bucher was hired to build upon plans already underway to “increase Motorola’s smartphone market share and capitalize on Motorola’s unique positioning as a portfolio supplier of broadband wireless, fiber, and cable solutions and services to a global base of customers serving consumer and business markets,” the company said.

That set of responsibilities suggests the company, which so far has been unable to spin off its handset operation, is planning on what to do if it never can.

Bucher will report to Sanjay Jha, Motorola’s co-chief executive officer and CEO of the Mobile Devices and Home business.

"I am extremely pleased to have John join the Motorola team,” said Jha. “His understanding of the key trends driving our markets and his multi-disciplinary financial, operational, technical and management experience will be instrumental to our strategic planning process as we chart our future course as an independent company.”

Bucher has worked for BMO Capital Markets, as well as Bell Atlantic/Nynex Mobile and PrimeCo Personal Communications, which are both now part of Verizon Wireless.