RIM hires new COO from Sony Mobile and CMO from LightSquared

Telecom Lead America: Research In Motion (RIM) has
appointed Kristian Tear as chief operating officer and Frank Boulben as chief
marketing officer.


 

Tear and Boulben will complement RIM’s existing executive
team as the company continues to focus on expanding its global customer base
and prepares for the launch of its new BlackBerry 10 platform.

 

Tear, who joins RIM from Sony Mobile Communications, will
be overseeing all operational functions for handhelds and services, including
research and development, products, global sales, manufacturing and supply
chain. 

 

Kristian and Frank bring extensive knowledge of the
rapidly changing wireless global market and will help RIM as we sharpen our
focus on delivering long-term value to our stakeholders,” said Thorsten Heins,
RIM’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

 

Kristian and Frank possess knowledge of the emerging
trends in mobile communications and computing.

 

At Sony Mobile Communications, Tear served as executive
vice president. He previously held a variety of operational leadership
positions with Ericsson in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

 

I look forward to working with the talented RIM
employees and harnessing their ingenuity and creativity for the benefit of more
than 77 million BlackBerry users around the world.  I also look forward to
helping RIM attract a brand new generation of BlackBerry users,” said Tear.

 

Boulben is the former executive vice president of
Strategy, Marketing and Sales for LightSquared. He joined LightSquared after
serving as global director of Commercial Strategy for Vodafone Group and
executive vice president of Brand and Consumer Marketing for Orange Group.

 

We all know how fast the mobile arena evolves and with
the BlackBerry 10 platform, I believe RIM will once again change the way
individuals and enterprises engage with each other and the world around
them.  I could not resist the opportunity to be part of that transformation,”
said Boulben.

 

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