Dr. Irwin Mark Jacobs is co-founder of Qualcomm Incorporated, pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA ) digital wireless technology. Dr. Jacobs served as chief executive officer of the Company until July 2005 and chairman of the Company's board of directors until March 2009.

Dr. Jacobs has led the commercialization of CDMA technology and its success as the world's fastest-growing, most-advanced voice and data wireless communications technology. He holds several CDMA patents, contributing to Qualcomm's extensive portfolio of issued U.S. and foreign patent and pending applications.

Dr. Jacobs previously served as co-founder, president, CEO and chairman of LINKABIT Corporation, directing its growth from a few part-time employees in 1969 to more than 1,400 employees in 1985 and first introduction of Ku-band Very Small Aperture Earth Terminals (VSATs), commercial TDMA wireless phones, and the VideoCipher® satellite-to-home TV system. LINKABIT merged with M/A-COM in August 1980, at which time Dr. Jacobs served on the company's board of directors until he resigned from M/A-COM in April 1985. More than 35 San Diego telecommunications companies, including Qualcomm, trace their roots back to LINKABIT.

From 1959 to 1966, Dr. Jacobs was an assistant/associate professor of electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). From 1966 to 1972 he served as a professor of computer science and engineering at the University of California, San Diego. At MIT, Dr. Jacobs co-authored a basic textbook on digital communications entitled, Principles of Communication Engineering. First published in 1965, the book remains in use today.

Dr. Jacobs received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1956 from Cornell University and master of science and doctor of science degrees in electrical engineering from MIT in 1957 and 1959, respectively.

Dr. Jacobs is the recipient of numerous industry, education and business awards.

Dr. Jacobs is a member of numerous industry and community boards and committees. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and a member of Sigma XI, Phi Kappa Phi, Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi. Dr. Jacobs also serves on the Council on Competitiveness, the National Academy of Engineering Committee on Public Awareness of Engineering, the board of directors of Building Engineering & Science Talent, the visiting committee of the MIT Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems, California Council on Science and Technology, and is past chairman of the University of California President's Engineering Advisory Council. In November 2006, Dr. Jacobs was named Chair of the Salk Institute’s Board of Trustees and in May 2008 was named Chair of the National Academy of Engineering.