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RIM’s co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie have stepped down

By on January 22, 2012 at 9:24pm in Mobile News


Wow, this is unexpected for a Sunday night. Both of RIM’s co-CEOs, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, have announced they will step down. Stepping into the role as President and CEO is Thorseten Heins, who joined the company in 2007 and recently was their COO. Heins stated that “It’s a fantastic growth story and it’s not coming to an end… What you will see with me is rigour and flawless execution”. The company also announced that Barbara Stymiest will become an independent board chairman.

It’s been a whirlwind for RIM over the past year, competition has been intense on the hardware and software front, delayed products, poor sales, frustrated investors and a huge drop in their stock price. Over the past few weeks there have been rumours that RIM was looking to sell the company, specifically to Samsung, but this was quickly denied. Even in a the Wall Street Journal tonight “There is no intent to put the company up for sale”.

On a more interesting note, one of the rumours pointed towards licensing their BlackBerry 10 OS to other manufacturers, Heins stated that they are exploring this route and are looking at possible suitors “on a case-by-case basis”.

It’ll be interesting to see how the market reacts to this news. The current stock price is at $17.00.

Source: Globe

Related posts:

  1. Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame
  2. Lazaridis, Balsillie make Canada’s “Rich 100 list”
  3. Canada’s “Rich 100″ list includes Rogers, Lazaridis, Balsillie and others
  4. Lazaridis & Balsillie among Canada’s billionaires in Forbes billionaire list

Discussion

45 comments for “RIM’s co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie have stepped down”

  1. Holy sh#t

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 62 Thumb down 3

    Posted by Crunch204 | January 22, 2012, 9:27 pm
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    • Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 85

      Posted by I forgot my meds | January 22, 2012, 9:54 pm

    • Ho-Lee-Shat!!!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 2

      Posted by A. Carmine | January 22, 2012, 11:42 pm

    • Their stepping down is a really Bold move that may throw the company’s future Playbook for a Curve. Hopefully them staying on as long as they did amid the changes in the market hasn’t thrown a Torch in the company’s outlook.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 26 Thumb down 11

      Posted by CADDMan | January 22, 2012, 11:45 pm

    • The main problem with RIM is that the guys in the picture are BOTH on the board and CEOs, they are not CEOs anymore, but they chose the current Engineer-CEO AND they remain in the board of directors as VP.
      They just did that because they know that the report coming up next month was going to “suggest” their removal.
      What has changed ???
      With them in the board, the company won’t be divided and sold and it will keep on living on a Barrage of Rumors (when will they end? How many companies are left that will buy RIM next week) and Buzz Words: “Leapfrog the competition” “No stone unturned” “Latter in the year” Stock is 5% up now. I think investors can read though this and the stock will go up 10-15% and back to reality by Monday.
      Next: Kick them out of the board, reduce their influence to 0 and then RIM willl be FREE and then you the stock will jump 20% and then it could REALLY be bought byt Samsung etc etc

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0

      Posted by notmuchchange | January 23, 2012, 7:51 am

  2. Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 34 Thumb down 44

    Posted by Nexus S | January 22, 2012, 9:28 pm
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    • Sure it CAN be saved, but only if they do a lot of things right over the next few years. Their claim to fame was security, reliability, and email/business communications. Those advantages will disappear as other platforms improve at those things. They need to catch up on their weaknesses – which is also good news, because these days even an “average” phone can be pretty capable when it comes to browsing and apps so on. They have a lot of people who WANT to use Blackberrys and will come running back if they can get rid of the few obvious ways they’re lagging.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1

      Posted by Nick | January 23, 2012, 10:42 am

  3. About time. But is it too little too late?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 55 Thumb down 12

    Posted by Hub | January 22, 2012, 9:29 pm
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    • I would wait in a line for an Android Torch 9800 like phone

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 14

      Posted by howitzer | January 22, 2012, 10:39 pm

  4. About time, maybe to late to save RIM in it’s current form though.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 10

    Posted by Steelepunk | January 22, 2012, 9:29 pm
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  5. FINALLY!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 41 Thumb down 3

    Posted by John | January 22, 2012, 9:30 pm
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  6. OMG! Great and Bad news all at the same time!
    I do NOT Believe in Thorseten Heins at all, hopefully his tenure as CEO is short lived as they find new blood

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 22 Thumb down 3

    Posted by StephenBB81 | January 22, 2012, 9:31 pm
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  7. WHOA! I wasn’t expecting this tonight. I think it was about to happen and it’s happening right now.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 3

    Posted by gjac0m | January 22, 2012, 9:31 pm
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  8. Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 31

    Posted by Ex Blackberry guy now IPhone guy | January 22, 2012, 9:32 pm
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  9. The timestamp on the Globe article is three hours in the future.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 2

    Posted by Winston | January 22, 2012, 9:33 pm
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  10. I don’t care if a moose is the CEO of the company.
    QNX/BB10, let’s see it.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 33 Thumb down 4

    Posted by Rich | January 22, 2012, 9:34 pm
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  11. Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 47

    Posted by sino | January 22, 2012, 9:34 pm
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    • you clearly don’t understand the difference between a shareholder and a CEO. Keep at it though.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 31 Thumb down 2

      Posted by briggs | January 22, 2012, 9:43 pm

  12. Hey MobileSyrup… try reading the article the next time. Mike and Jim also gave up their co-chair positions:

    The two former CEOs also relinquished their co-chair positions on the board, with Mr. Lazaridis becoming vice-chair of the board with special duties to examine innovation and Mr. Balsillie becoming an ordinary director.

    But the radical changes at RIM, which also saw director Barbara Stymiest become board chair, may not be enough to stave off shareholder discontent.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 6

    Posted by David | January 22, 2012, 9:36 pm
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  13. Ah interesting. First this then what next? Stay tuned in the next episode of RIM – A success or failure?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 3

    Posted by EmperumanV | January 22, 2012, 9:40 pm
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  14. I am buying RIM shares as we speak! They can only go up after they’ve dropped just now. Cha-ching!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 10

    Posted by Robi | January 22, 2012, 9:48 pm
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  15. I wish RIM the best. I would love to support the company, but that won’t happen until they release something competitive.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 3

    Posted by P.L. | January 22, 2012, 9:49 pm
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  16. Finally – what took them so long?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 2

    Posted by D | January 22, 2012, 9:49 pm
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  17. That was unexpected news for a Sunday.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 1

    Posted by InfinitiGuy | January 22, 2012, 9:50 pm
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  18. As a pillaged shareholder, I am very thankful.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Dillion | January 22, 2012, 9:50 pm
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  19. 2012 will be a make-or-break year. And I hope that they MAKE some great products moving forward.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1

    Posted by ICA | January 22, 2012, 10:06 pm
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  20. Now Jim can focus on getting another NHL team in SW Ontario!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 2

    Posted by Andrew | January 22, 2012, 10:14 pm
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  21. I’m shocked to hear this news on a Sunday. I would like to thank Mike and Jim for creating BlackBerry. I will always be a BlackBerry user. I have faith that 2012 will be RIM’s year.

    Yes Jim must fight hard to get another NHL team in SW Ontario. Hamilton is waiting!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 10

    Posted by Susan | January 22, 2012, 10:32 pm
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  22. Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 15

    Posted by Last Chance for a Turn Around | January 22, 2012, 10:34 pm
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  23. Time to open champagne?
    Or just captains are leaving sinking ship?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 5

    Posted by JustMeAndMe | January 22, 2012, 11:06 pm
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    • I think they tripped and as a result somehow lost their CEO titles in the process…though official reports have not yet been released

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

      Posted by Vanessa | January 23, 2012, 3:55 pm

  24. As a cdn I hope they can rebound and succeed. You never want to see a cdn company and jobs go away. I hope new management can help them right the ship.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 2

    Posted by Clockwork | January 22, 2012, 11:28 pm
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  25. Here’s hoping that Heins can pull an Elop and bring them back to the front page, for good reasons.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 2

    Posted by PhoneScience | January 22, 2012, 11:29 pm
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  26. If anybody has played Starcraft 2, then you know the tag line for the game “Hell, it’s about time” can be used in this context.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 4

    Posted by David | January 22, 2012, 11:31 pm
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  27. Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 10

    Posted by A. Carmine | January 23, 2012, 12:04 am
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  28. @A. Carmine

    VIRGIN ALERT!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 3

    Posted by Apple4Life | January 23, 2012, 12:04 am
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  29. Too little too late. They haven’t put out a competitive product in four years.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 6

    Posted by Brian | January 23, 2012, 1:10 am
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  30. These two scumbags should have been kick out years ago. Too little too late.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 5

    Posted by Dave | January 23, 2012, 1:55 am
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  31. i guess now there will be no chance of getting an nhl team in hamilton

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0

    Posted by g-man | January 23, 2012, 6:44 am
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  32. has no one noticed Jim is using an Iphone?

    ha

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 3

    Posted by Eric | January 23, 2012, 8:17 am
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    • Haha I did notice that. Not sure the context of this picture. Maybe he tea bagged it then took it to a genius bar for a prank, but who knows.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2

      Posted by Dexter | January 23, 2012, 10:35 am

    • That’s clearly a BB bold? As if he would show so little faith in his own company and abandon the projects that he helped design. Think.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0

      Posted by Thatwouldneverhappen | January 23, 2012, 11:28 am

    • Yeah, it’s definitely a Bold 9000.
      iPhone doesn’t have a button on top like that. Silver thing on the back that looks like the apple logo in this low res picture is the vertically stacked camera lens/flash on the 9000.

      Nice try at trolling though.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

      Posted by Jake | January 29, 2012, 11:58 pm

  33. And that ladies and gentlemen is how the cookie will crumble.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 2

    Posted by EmperumanV | January 23, 2012, 9:06 am
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  34. RIM can not be SAVED.
    Regardless what you tend to believe.

    They had a DOOR open to them called ANDROID a while back ago. They chose to listen to Apple and MS and join there consortium and now the time has passed them by. Even where I work i see former BB users now walk in the office with Androids phones and Iphones.
    Sony’s CEO said it best in his statement ” getting on board the Android platform was the best decision they made ”
    There is a CEO that has vision.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1

    Posted by Nathen | January 24, 2012, 8:22 pm
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