EXCLUSIVE: Top Executive Quits HTC OZ
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Anthony Petts the man credited with helping build HTC into a major Smartphone brand in Australia has quit the Company to take on a senior role at Motorola.

Anthony Petts the man credited with helping build HTC into a major Smartphone brand in Australia has quit the Company to take on a senior role at Motorola.

Petts who joined Taiwanese Company HTC, 3 years ago from Ericsson, when they were a struggling mobile phone brand has been credited with being able to open the doors of carriers to encourage them to sell the HTC brand shortly after senior management in Australia walked out on the Company.

In May 2008, HTC’s then Managing Director John Featherstone and other members of the executive team claimed that they had “had enough” of dealing with Taiwanese management and quit on mass.

HTC’s PR agency, Upstream now Bite, issued a two paragraph media statement shortly after the mass exit which said “Australia continues to be a key market for HTC. We are actively recruiting for a new country manager and building the local team. We have one of the most innovative ranges of smart phones available in Australia today, and our presence here continues to grow. In the coming weeks, we will launch our most exciting products shortly”.

The person appointed was Anthony Petts who went on to make HTC one of the most successful Smartphone Companies in Australia.

In his new role at Motorola, Petts has taken on the role of Strategic Sales Director. The US company who are currently making a comeback in Australia with a new range of Smartphone’s and their impressive new Xoom Tablet are tipped to be a major player in Australia with several senior carrier executives meeting with the Company at CES to view their new 2011 offerings.

Motorola is also expected to have a major stand at next month’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month when several new models will be released.

The first inkling of a split at HTC emerged when an update was posted to Petts Linkedin page.

 Petts who has over 21 years experience in Sales, Marketing, and Technical, Management with Companies like Ericsson, HTC, and Vodafone is set to deliver valuable contacts to Motorola who during the past 4 years has cut back their operations in Australia as they struggled to get traction among the carriers.

Their recent Motorola Druid phone, which is currently being carried by Telstra is proving to be a big success for the US Company due to the fact that it is waterproof and has an almost unbreakable “gorilla glass” display screen. 
In August 2010, Ben Hodgson who formerly worked for Brightstar Logistics and i-mate Australia, a brand who struggled to get market share in Australia was appointed Country Manager for HTC Australia, at the time many observers expected Petts to get the top job.

Hodgson has not returned calls to ChannelNews nor has Bite Australia executives.