RIM executive shakeup continues with new COO, CMO
Research in Motion announced on Tuesday that it has hired a new chief operating officer and a chief marketing officer, continuing a shakeup of the company's executive team.
Kristian Tear will serve as RIM's new chief operating officer. He comes to the struggling smartphone maker from Sony Mobile Communications, where he served as executive vice president.
Tear's new role at RIM will have him oversee all operational functions for handhelds and services, including research and development, products, global sales, manufacturing and supply chain.
And Frank Boulben, former executive vice president at LightSquared, will be the new chief marketing officer at RIM. In that position, he will oversee global marketing efforts.
"Kristian and Frank bring extensive knowledge of the rapidly changing wireless global market and will help RIM as we sharpen our focus on delivering long-term value to our stakeholders," said Thorsten Heins, chief executive and president at RIM. "Most importantly, both Kristian and Frank possess a keen understanding of the emerging trends in mobile communications and computing."
RIM reported dismal earnings late last month as three major executives, including co-founder Jim Balsillie, left the company. The company's quarterly results were so poor that the RIM had to publicly clarify it did not plan to pull out of the consumer sector.
In April, RIM lost two more top executives, and the company revealed it was weighing its strategic options, which could include licensing its BlackBerry mobile operating system. The changes at RIM have continued since the company's co-CEOs stepped down in January, and were replaced by former chief operating officer Thorsten Heins.
Kristian Tear will serve as RIM's new chief operating officer. He comes to the struggling smartphone maker from Sony Mobile Communications, where he served as executive vice president.
Tear's new role at RIM will have him oversee all operational functions for handhelds and services, including research and development, products, global sales, manufacturing and supply chain.
And Frank Boulben, former executive vice president at LightSquared, will be the new chief marketing officer at RIM. In that position, he will oversee global marketing efforts.
"Kristian and Frank bring extensive knowledge of the rapidly changing wireless global market and will help RIM as we sharpen our focus on delivering long-term value to our stakeholders," said Thorsten Heins, chief executive and president at RIM. "Most importantly, both Kristian and Frank possess a keen understanding of the emerging trends in mobile communications and computing."
RIM reported dismal earnings late last month as three major executives, including co-founder Jim Balsillie, left the company. The company's quarterly results were so poor that the RIM had to publicly clarify it did not plan to pull out of the consumer sector.
In April, RIM lost two more top executives, and the company revealed it was weighing its strategic options, which could include licensing its BlackBerry mobile operating system. The changes at RIM have continued since the company's co-CEOs stepped down in January, and were replaced by former chief operating officer Thorsten Heins.
Comments
(Taps plays softly in the background)
"Kristian Tear will serve as RIM's new chief operating officer. He comes to the struggling smartphone maker from Sony Mobile Communications, where he served as executive vice president."
"Kristian and Frank bring extensive knowledge of the rapidly changing wireless global market..."
Of course Kristian knows about the rapidly changing wireless global market. He's got all sorts of experience seeing how fast it changed and how his old company got completely left behind with that change. Sounds like a great pick-up for RIM.
I miss the "good ole days" when these guys would get a big bonus instead.
Quote:
Originally Posted by uguysrnuts
Great! So when is Mr.Heins stepping down?
Scott Thompson may be available soon. Is it all ego or is it a big signing bonus that gets people to leave their current position and go to a sinking ship?
GIven that it's a Canadian company I think that the sound in the background is actually, "The Last Post"...
sound like they are going the way of Nortel, a round robin of new executive with new idea on how long they can delay closing the doors. At least the plan to sell of the IP before the banks get their hands on it and attempt to sell it to patent trolls.
They don't need a shakeup. They need a magnitude 9 earthquake if they're going to survive.
What they need, and what they're getting or going to get down the line is just more of the same. They don't need new pencil pushers, product managers or bean counters. They need creative people with vision to see beyond the paycheck or options they're getting. But it won't happen because shareholders of most companies don't think that way and the people in place now don't think that way. I'm guessing they're paying some high high priced consultants to tell them a bunch of crap about getting people that execute, that can see from 30,000 feet up, that can onboard quickly and get roped into EXACT same crap that got the company in the trouble it's in now.
Frankly, I believe that if business schools around the world don't start thinking "differently", they're going to be proven to be ineffective at producing the business leaders of tomorrow and will themselves become obsolete or unable to compete with business schools that do think and act differently.
If you can guess by my comments, I'm one of those people that has always thought differently, eschewed the business classes in college and have learned how to be creative in business, helping to sell two successful companies. I'm now an owner of wood product and technology company that is bringing a product to market that is unique in the world, forcing even the designers we call on to think differently about what is possible. It's amazing how many people, even "creatives" can fall into the trap of just doing their job, not looking at how they can improve products or processes.
I guess the fact that the CMO was replaced indicates they realized just how dumb the Wake up/Be bold ad campaign is.
They'd be smart to jump on the Windows phone bandwagon. Their niche was always the Windows-based enterprise IT industry anyway. I really don't think there is room for four mobile OSs at the present. Probably one reason Palm sold out, however at that time BB was one of the three major OSs, but now that Windows phone is poised to take third place, RIM is the odd man out.
If not it will probably shake out something like this:
Android 50%
Apple 30%
Windows 10%
BB 5%
Others 5%
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmgregory1
What they need, and what they're getting or going to get down the line is just more of the same. They don't need new pencil pushers, product managers or bean counters. They need creative people with vision to see beyond the paycheck or options they're getting. But it won't happen because shareholders of most companies don't think that way and the people in place now don't think that way. I'm guessing they're paying some high high priced consultants to tell them a bunch of crap about getting people that execute, that can see from 30,000 feet up, that can onboard quickly and get roped into EXACT same crap that got the company in the trouble it's in now.
Frankly, I believe that if business schools around the world don't start thinking "differently", they're going to be proven to be ineffective at producing the business leaders of tomorrow and will themselves become obsolete or unable to compete with business schools that do think and act differently.
If you can guess by my comments, I'm one of those people that has always thought differently, eschewed the business classes in college and have learned how to be creative in business, helping to sell two successful companies. I'm now an owner of wood product and technology company that is bringing a product to market that is unique in the world, forcing even the designers we call on to think differently about what is possible. It's amazing how many people, even "creatives" can fall into the trap of just doing their job, not looking at how they can improve products or processes.
Can you post any info on the wood product and technology company?
Nah, they just need a new marketing slogan. "WAKE UP" is the new "AMATEUR HOUR IS OVER."
So, if you don't rate, just overcompensate.
At least you know you can always go on Ricki Lake.
The world needs wannabes.
Well said.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigBillyGoatGruff
So, if you don't rate, just overcompensate.
At least you know you can always go on Ricki Lake.
The world needs wannabes.
So don't deflate, play it straight
You know he really doesn't get it anyway
...
Hey, hey, do the trendy thing!
Oh, wait... that should be for Samsung.
I don't think it counts as a "shakeup" unless something changes.
I can't wait to get "Service 1" and "Service 2"