Greg Brown is chairman and chief executive of Motorola Solutions, a role he has held since the 2011 split that divided the old Motorola into the consumer-phone business (Motorola Mobility, later sold to Google) and the public-safety and enterprise business he now runs. He had become CEO of the predecessor Motorola Inc. on January 1, 2008. In 2026 he was named Chief Executive magazine's CEO of the Year.
Under Brown, Motorola Solutions has reoriented around mission-critical communications and security and become deeply embedded in government. Its APX land-mobile radios, PremierOne computer-aided dispatch, body cameras, and command-center software run a large share of U.S. 911 centers and emergency-response agencies, where buying one piece of the system tends to lock agencies into the rest. The company reported roughly $11.7 billion in revenue in 2025, with North American government and enterprise customers driving the bulk of sales and a record backlog above $14 billion.
Brown has built the company partly through acquisition - more than 55 deals - expanding from radios into video security (Avigilon), license-plate recognition (Vigilant Solutions), and defense communications, including the roughly $4.4 billion purchase of military-grade networking firm Silvus Technologies in 2025. That expansion has turned Motorola into one of the most important private vendors of surveillance and security infrastructure to American police, agencies, and the military.
What they control
- Motorola Solutions: a roughly $11.7 billion (2025 revenue) public-safety and security company
- APX land-mobile radio systems and PremierOne CAD that anchor large numbers of U.S. 911 and emergency-dispatch operations
- Video security and analytics through Avigilon, plus body cameras and integrated devices such as the 2025 SVX
- Automated license-plate recognition and a vehicle-location database through Vigilant Solutions
- Defense and tactical communications, expanded via the ~$4.4 billion Silvus Technologies acquisition
- A record backlog above $14 billion that locks in years of government and enterprise revenue
Key institutions & holdings
Public-safety, video-security, and communications company; ~$11.7B revenue in 2025.
License-plate-reader network and FaceSearch database used by police and shared with ICE.
Military-grade MANET networking firm bought for about $4.4 billion.
Key facts
- Chairman and CEO since the 2011 spin-off of Motorola Solutions; CEO of predecessor Motorola Inc. from January 1, 2008.
- Named Chief Executive magazine's 2026 CEO of the Year.
- Motorola Solutions reported about $11.7 billion in revenue in 2025, with a record backlog above $14 billion.
- Has completed more than 55 acquisitions, expanding into video, software, and defense.
- Acquired military networking firm Silvus Technologies for roughly $4.4 billion in 2025.
- Brown's reported total compensation was about $34 million in 2025.
Timeline
- 2008-01-01Becomes CEO of Motorola Inc.
- 2011Leads the split of Motorola; becomes chairman and CEO of Motorola Solutions.
- 2019Motorola acquires VaaS International, owner of license-plate-reader firm Vigilant Solutions.
- 2025Acquires Silvus Technologies for about $4.4 billion and launches the SVX video-and-radio device.
- 2026Named Chief Executive magazine's CEO of the Year.
Controversies
License-plate surveillance and ICE data sharing · 2019-ongoing
Motorola's Vigilant Solutions operates a nationwide automated license-plate-reader network and database that civil-liberties groups say has been used to share Americans' location data with ICE for immigration enforcement.
Biometric privacy lawsuit · 2024-2025
Motorola was sued in 2024 for allegedly violating Illinois biometric-privacy law by collecting and disclosing facial-recognition data through its FaceSearch tool; the case settled in 2025.
Public-safety vendor lock-in · ongoing
Critics and some agencies say Motorola's bundled radios, dispatch software, and cameras create costly dependence that limits competition and raises prices for taxpayers.
Network
- Motorola Solutions boardGovernanceBrown holds both the chairman and CEO roles, concentrating leadership.
- U.S. state and local police agenciesCore customersDepend on Motorola radios, dispatch, and surveillance systems.
- Silvus TechnologiesAcquired defense unitExtends Motorola's reach into military tactical communications.
Why this matters
Motorola Solutions sits inside the daily machinery of public safety - the radios first responders carry, the software that routes 911 calls, and the cameras and license-plate readers that watch public streets. When one company controls so much of that infrastructure, communities depend on a private vendor for emergency response while its surveillance tools, data-sharing with agencies like ICE, and pricing raise civil-liberties and accountability questions that ordinary residents have little power to contest.