Cisco Systems is filling its head of technology spot with the one-day former CTO of Motorola.

The Cisco CTO position will be given to Padmasree Warrior, who jumped ship at Motorola just days after its board of directors said they were ousting CEO Ed Zander.

Warrior announced her leave from the troubled mobile-phone maker on Monday, where she was responsible for Motorola's $4.1bn research and development investments and about 26,000 engineers.

She claims that her decision to leave was independent of Motorola's CEO chop. Warrior was the highest ranking female executive in the company's history.

Nich Nottenburg, Motorola's chief strategy officer, will take her place. Zander will relinquish his title at the beginning of 2008.

Meanwhile, Cisco will have its first CTO since Charles Giancarlo traded his title for chief development officer in 2005. Warrior will now work directly for Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers. ®

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