Google just took a big step in its effort to grow its consumer electronics business.
The search giant has hired Motorola’s former president Rick Osterloh to oversee a new hardware-focused business unit, according to a report on Thursday by the technology news website Re/code.
The new unit includes many of Google’s hardware projects including the Nexus phone, Chromecast video streaming stick, and the Google Glass Internet-connected eyewear device.
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Osterloh will become a senior vice president and report to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the report said. This will be Osterloh’s second stint at Google (GOOG) after working at Motorola acquired it in 2012. When Google sold Motorola to Lenovo two years later, Osterloh stuck with Motorola as Motorola’s president and chief operating officer.
In January, Lenovo decided to rebrand Motorola as “Moto by Lenovo,” and would sell high-end smartphones under the Moto name.
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In March, Osterloh chose to leave Motorola while Lenovo amid a corporate restructuring that saw Lenovo rename its enterprise business unit the Data Center Group, among other changes. Last month, Lenovo named Aymar de Lencquesaing to take over Osterloh’s position.
