BU Engineer

Managing Relationships

by Cheryl Balian

It could be said that Ron Garriques (’86), an executive at Motorola, Inc., has Boston University programmed into his phone’s speed dial list. Despite an action-packed schedule of professional responsibilities, he is dedicated to his membership on ENG’s Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering’s Advisory Board, a position he has held since the Board’s inception in 2001. Ron also serves as the Department’s representative to Dean David Campbell’s Advisory Council. In both instances, his ease with two-way communication and outreach ultimately contribute to good alumni relations and the stature of the College of Engineering within the Boston University community, while maximizing the school’s visibility nationwide.

Keeping the lines of communication flowing is something at which he excels. As a corporate vice president at Motorola in Libertyville, Illinois, Ron oversees the company’s personal communications sector by creating, prioritizing, and executing the distribution of Motorola’s extensive line of global products. He combines his detailed understanding of the wireless appliance market with a knack for maintaining strong relationships with customers, which isn’t so different from his advisory role at ENG. Garriques, who received a B.S. from the College of Engineering in mechanical engineering, an M.S. from Stanford University in mechanical engineering, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, has been on the move at Motorola since he joined the telecommunications giant in 1998.

In his first position as vice president and general manager of the company’s performance category in Piscataway, New Jersey, he was able to maintain sales margins while quadrupling the category’s revenues and increasing market share. During his short time in this role, he oversaw company segments as diverse as research and development, product marketing, business management, human resources, and finance. All the while, his leadership skills played a significant part in the development and implementation of a new global platform for all of Motorola’s emerging wireless technologies.

Ron’s ability to harmoniously link the priorities and goals of separate parties in order to maximize an organization’s total effectiveness is what makes him a success in both his career and his advisory role at the College. At Motorola, he was subsequently promoted to vice president and general manager of the company’s program management organization, where he oversaw critical activities like market analysis through product launches and close out. Garriques also spurred the integration and execution of the company’s business processes while establishing sector commonality for methodology, tools, and process.

Garriques’ first job after graduating from BU was at Bell Labs.Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, he held management positions of increasing responsibility at AT&T and Philips Consumer Communications, where he led cutting-edge research, development, and deployment of wireless terminals.

Family ties are also a priority for Garriques. Recently, Ron linked his dedication to family with his staunch support of the College of Engineering when he made a multiyear commitment to establish an endowment in his sister’s name. Ron currently lives in in Chicago with his wife, Karena, and their young daughter, Lauren.


Managing Relationships by Cheryl Balian It could be said that Ron Garriques (’86), an executive at Motorola, Inc., has Boston University programmed into his phone’s speed dial list. Despite an action-packed schedule of professional responsibilities, he is dedicated to his membership on ENG’s Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering’s Advisory Board, a position he has held since the Board’s inception in 2001. Ron also serves as the Department’s representative to Dean David Campbell’s Advisory Council. In both instances, his ease with two-way communication and outreach ultimately contribute to good alumni relations and the stature of the College of Engineering within the Boston University community, while maximizing the school’s visibility nationwide. Keeping the lines of communication flowing is something at which he excels. As a corporate vice president at Motorola in Libertyville, Illinois, Ron oversees the company’s personal communications sector by creating, prioritizing, and executing the distribution of Motorola’s extensive line of global products. He combines his detailed understanding of the wireless appliance market with a knack for maintaining strong relationships with customers, which isn’t so different from his advisory role at ENG. Garriques, who received a B.S. from the College of Engineering in mechanical engineering, an M.S. from Stanford University in mechanical engineering, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, has been on the move at Motorola since he joined the telecommunications giant in 1998. In his first position as vice president and general manager of the company’s performance category in Piscataway, New Jersey, he was able to maintain sales margins while quadrupling the category’s revenues and increasing market share. During his short time in this role, he oversaw company segments as diverse as research and development, product marketing, business management, human resources, and finance. All the while, his leadership skills played a significant part in the development and implementation of a new global platform for all of Motorola’s emerging wireless technologies. Ron’s ability to harmoniously link the priorities and goals of separate parties in order to maximize an organization’s total effectiveness is what makes him a success in both his career and his advisory role at the College. At Motorola, he was subsequently promoted to vice president and general manager of the company’s program management organization, where he oversaw critical activities like market analysis through product launches and close out. Garriques also spurred the integration and execution of the company’s business processes while establishing sector commonality for methodology, tools, and process. Garriques’ first job after graduating from BU was at Bell Labs.Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, he held management positions of increasing responsibility at AT&T and Philips Consumer Communications, where he led cutting-edge research, development, and deployment of wireless terminals. Family ties are also a priority for Garriques. Recently, Ron linked his dedication to family with his staunch support of the College of Engineering when he made a multiyear commitment to establish an endowment in his sister’s name. Ron currently lives in in Chicago with his wife, Karena, and their young daughter, Lauren.
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