RIM names new CEO, chairman

Nieuws Mobiel Wereld 23 JAN 2012
RIM names new CEO, chairman
Research In Motion has bowed to pressure from shareholders and reformed its management structure. Co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazardis will step aside to allow Thorsten Heins to take over as CEO and Barbara Stymiest to become as independent chairman. Heins joined RIM from Siemens Communications Group in December 2007 as senior VP for Hardware Engineering and became chief operating officer for product and sales in August 2011. Stymiest is a former group executive at Royal Bank of Canada and has served as an independent board member at RIM since 2007. The company also named Prem Watsa, CEO of Fairfax Financial Holdings, to the board, expanding it to 11 members. Both Lazardis and Balsillie will remain on RIM's board, with Lazardis serving as vice chairman. Lazardis will also chair a new innovation committee at the company.

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