Industryweek 5678 Blackberry

BlackBerry Purges Its Executive Inbox

Nov. 25, 2013
"I will continue to align my senior management team and organizational structure, and refine the company's strategy…" BlackBerry CEO John Chen said.

Mere weeks after its CEO left the company, BlackBerry (IW 1000/412) is once again undergoing a management shakeup.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based company known for creating the smartphone culture has restructured its management team.

In a Nov. 25 announcement, BlackBerry said its Chief Operating Officer Kristian Tear and its Chief Marketing Officer Frank Boulben are leaving the company.

And James Yearsh, who previously served as senior vice president, controller and head of compliance and has worked at BlackBerry since 2008, will replace Brian Bidulka as CFO. Bidulka, however, will remain at the company until the end of the fiscal year as a special advisor to CEO John Chen.

"…In conjunction with these management changes, I will continue to align my senior management team and organizational structure, and refine the company's strategy…" Chen said.

Chen on Nov. 4 replaced the company's former chief executive Thorsten Heins, who only held the position for a year. Chen took the reins after Fairfax Financial Holdings Inc. invested $1 billion in the company, after its bid to buy the company fell through.

In addition to the recent C-level changes, Roger Martin, a board member since 2007, also resigned.

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