Research in Motion co-chief executives step down in BlackBerry reshuffle

Chief operating officer Thorsten Heins replaces Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis

Research in Motion's (RIM) co-chief executives Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis have resigned from their roles at the struggling firm in a move to appease investors, as the performance of the BlackBerry manufacturer has waned in recent years.

The firm announced that chief operating officer Thorsten Heins is the new chief executive, while Lazaridis will become vice chair of RIM's board and Balsillie will sit as a full-time board member.

The decision by Balsillie and Lazaridis to step down comes after months of pressure from investors to shake things up, as the firm has seen its market share eroded by Android and iPhone devices entering the business market.

The firm also generated a number of negative headlines in 2011 with its PlayBook tablet proving a flop and customers around the globe affected by a major network outage that hit RIM's network in October.

Announcing the decision, Lazaridis said both he and Balsillie agreed the firm needed new leadership and were confident it has enough new products to remain relevant in the market.

"There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognise the need to pass the baton to new leadership. [We told] the board we thought that time was now," he said.

"With BlackBerry 7 now out, PlayBook 2.0 shipping in February and BlackBerry 10 expected to ship later this year, the company is entering a new phase and we felt it was time for a new leader to take it through that phase."

Research in Motion co-chief executives step down in BlackBerry reshuffle

Chief operating officer Thorsten Heins replaces Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis

Gartner research vice president Carolina Milenasi told V3 that it was not a huge surprise the change had happened, but she questioned whether an internal promotion was the right strategy for RIM.

"The situation at RIM is similar to that of Nokia in recent years where it needed to change something to placate investors, to show it is doing something," she said.

"However, Heins has been at the firm for four years and has already been involved in the development of its new platforms. While these have been an improvement, it has not been enough to help the firm, so he may not be the right person to change things."

She added that one of the key issues he needs to address is the firm's strategy, which has been confusing for investors and customers.

"At times it has said it wants to focus more on the consumer market, then it says it is a dedicated enterprise provider, then it makes noises that it may use Android, so it has all been a bit erratic," she added.

RIM has also been at the centre of speculation linking the firm to a buyout from South Korean giant Samsung and online retailer Amazon, but neither now appears likely as the firm looks to a new leader in 2012.