In hopes to revamp their company and brand, Research In Motion Limited (TSE:RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM) just brought two new executives on board. Former executive VP for LightSquared, Frank Boulben was recently appointed as the new CMO and Sony Mobile’s Kristian Tear will take over the position of chief operating officer.
Thorsten Heins, RIM’s chief executive, says that both new executives will bring their knowledge and experience to the table. He said that both Tear and Boulben “possess a keen understanding of the emerging trends in mobile communications and computing”. Heins also mentioned that his long-term goal for the company is to create more value for shareholders.
Research In Motion Limited (TSE:RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM), the maker behind Blackberry smartphones and tablet computers, has been struggling to survive in an industry that is dominated by the likes of Apple and Android. This move is just part of the company’s fairly recent attempts to transform their business. Previous moves included offering developers a chance to design new applications for the upcoming Blackberry 10 and instigating a strange anti-Apple protest in Australia. It appears that Research In Motion is trying everything they can to stay in the game, even if it means taking an unconventional approach to marketing.
RIM lost many executives over the last few months including former chief executive offer David Yach(who was subsequently replaced by Heins), global chief operations Jim Rowan, VP of Blackberry Messenger Service Alistair Mitchell, and senior vice president Alan Brenner.
It sounds like Tear and Boulben could prove beneficial to the company, especially if they decide to stay long-term. Of course it is important to note that at the rate RIM is going, there may not be much of a future for them either.
I think that if they go about planning Blackberry 10 right, they might have another shot at saving their company before it is too late. I would love to see them swim instead of sink.
However, it is ironic? that they are bringing on executives from a company on the verge of bankruptcy.
