BlackBerry says goodbye to its COO, CMO and CFO

After the acquisition plans fell through, BlackBerry changed strategies and its CEO. The changes in the company go deeper than just swapping the leader though – it was announced today that the COO, CMO and CFO are being replaced.

Kristian Tear, the outgoing Chief Operating Officer, and Frank Boulben, Chief Marketing Officer, are leaving and their replacements are yet to be announced.

Here's what new CEO and Executive Chair John Chen had to say about the two:

"I thank Kristian and Frank for their efforts on behalf of BlackBerry. I look forward to working more directly with the talented teams of engineers, and the sales and marketing teams around the world to facilitate the BlackBerry turn-around and to drive innovation."

The Chief Financial Officer, Brian Bidulka, is also on his way out. His replacement has already been announced, it's James Yersh who has been with BlackBerry since 2008, serving various roles such as SVP, Controller and Head of Compliance. Bidulka will remain in an advisory role until the end of the fiscal year.

Chen thanked Bidulka and looks forward to working Yersh.

"I look forward to working with James and his Finance team as we move forward, execute on our plans and deliver long-term value for our shareholders."

One final bit of leadership shakeup - Roger Martin, a board member since 2007, has resigned.

Source | Via