Blackberry has announced that two more executives are leaving the company. COO Kristian Tear and CMO Frank Boulben are departing, and doing so at the same time. Blackberry CFO Brian Bidulka is also being replaced by former Blackberry SVP James Yersh. Board member Roger Martin, who has been around since 2007, is also leaving.
No reason for the departures were given, but we’re not sure they need one. Blackberry is in the midst of a rapid decline, and recently eschewed a buyout, instead opting for $1 billion in funding. Blackberry also recently fired CEO Thorston Heins, which was clearly just the first domino in a string of management moves and departures.
While no immediate replacements have been announced for Tear or Boulben, James Yersh has the chops to serve as CFO. Most recently a SVP with the company, Yersh once served as the Controller, and Head of Compliance. In a statement, new CEO John Chen said “Building on this core strength, and in conjunction with these management changes, I will continue to align my senior management team and organizational structure, and refine the Company’s strategy to ensure we deliver the best devices, mobile security and device management.”
What Blackberry’s new direction will be isn’t yet clear, as the core management structure has been shaken. Unfortunately, Blackberry is in no hurry to rebound, a key component to their downfall. In September, Blackberry cut 4,500 jobs and took a $1 billion write down on Z10 devices.
