RIM witnesses reshuffling of the top ranks
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RIM’s co-CEO Jim Balsillie and co-chairman Mike Lazaridis are stepping down from their respective posts and making way for Thorsten Heins as the new CEO. The Canadian mobile phone company has suffered through unusually rapid decline of fortunes in the past year or so.
While this may seem like good news to investors with some fresh blood and ideas being introduced at the helm of the company, a close look points to a mere reshuffling among the existing captains of the company. Thorsten Heins, the new CEO for RIM has been with the organization since 2007 in the capacity of one of the company’s chief operating officers. Furthermore, in an interview with the New York Times, Heins vowed to “follow the strategy Mr. Balsillie and Mr. Lazaridis set in place".
Meanwhile, Mike Lazaridis will stay with the company as vice chairman and head of the board's newly created innovation committee. Also, while Balsillie will not have an operational role, he will stay on as a member of RIM's board. Only time will tell of this is part of a serious move by RIM to turn their company’s fortunes around or if it is just a ruse to keep the investors from jumping the ship.
Photo Credits: Geoff Robins / Reuters