Sony Mobile with new CEO: Kunimasa Suzuki.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Sony Mobile with new CEO: Kunimasa Suzuki.

Sony Mobile has announced that Sony Corporation's corporate executive officer and executive VP Kunimasa Suzuki (pictured) will become its new president and CEO from 16 May.

Suzuki will replace Bert Nordberg who headed up the business during its transition from Sony Ericsson to Sony Mobile following Ericsson’s exit from the handset joint venture, first announced last October. Nordberg becomes chairman of the Sony Mobile Communications board.

It was announced last week that Suzuki would assume responsibility for planning and design of all of Sony’s consumer products and services and to drive the horizontal integration of different product lines. The mobile business has been identified by Sony as one of its core electronics business areas.

Suzuki will continue in his Sony Corporation roles alongside his responsibility for the mobile division, and will be based in Lund, Sweden and Tokyo. Yoshihisa Ishida and Kristian Tear will continue as deputy CEO and executive VP of slaes and marketing for Sony Mobile, respectively.

“[Suzuki] is a strong leader and the right person to oversee Sony Mobile Communications as we establish a new business structure as ’One Sony’ intended to reinforce and accelerate our overall business management,” said Sony Corporation president and CEO Kazuo Hirai.

“Bert Nordberg has done an outstanding job in transforming Sony Ericsson, now Sony Mobile Communications, from a feature phone to a smartphone company,” Hirai added.

Speaking about his new role, Suzuki reiterated Sony Mobile’s plan to focus exclusively on smartphones in 2012. The first new smartphones since the exit of Ericsson were unveiled at GSMA Mobile World Congress in February.

Telia Sonera appoints former Nokia exec as CEO .

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Telia Sonera appoints former Nokia exec as CEO .

Finnish operator Sonera has appointed former Nokia exec Robert Andersson as president and CEO of the company. Andersson will join parent group TeliaSonera’s management team to oversee Sonera’s customer interface business units on 14 May and will report to TeliaSonera CEO Lars Nyberg. 

 Andersson was a member of Nokia’s Group Executive Board from 2005 to 2009.

Sony names new CEO Kazuo Hirai to impulse new innovative strategy to reenergise the company

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Sony names new CEO Kazuo Hirai to impulse new innovative strategy to reenergise the company.

Kazuo Hirai has been named as the new Sony Corporation CEO, taking over from Howard Stringer, according to Reuters.

Sony is currently struggling with persistent financial losses and stalling efforts to reignite its brand.

Hirai has been with Sony for 28 years and oversaw the rise of PlayStation gaming in the USA, he will take over as CEO and president on 1^st April.

Hirai was promoted to head the company's consumer products and services businesses in March 2011. The consumer products and services divisions produce the bulk of Sony's $85 billion in annual sales.

Hirai is tasked with reenergising Sony, and a chief strategy for this hinges on merging Sony's robust roster of entertainment properties, including singers Kelly Clarkson and Michael Jackson, and the Spider-Man and Men in Black film franchises, with its Vaio, Bravia and other electronics brands, in an effort to boost sales.

"The path we must take is clear," he said in a statement on Wednesday. "To drive the growth of our core electronics businesses - primarily digital imaging, smart mobile and games; to turn around the television business; and to accelerate the innovation that enables us to create new business domains."

Stringer will become chair man of the board of directors in June, Sony spokeswoman Mami Imada told Reuters. There are no plans to replace him in the chairman's role.

Sony's shares have shed nearly two-thirds of their value since Stringer took the helm as CEO and chairman in 2005 and the role of president in 2009.

Sony's shares listed in the US rose 0.6% on Wednesday while its shares in Japan closed trading about 2% lower at $17.91.

RIM named Thorsten Heins new President and CEO

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

Thorsten Heins was named President and Chief Executive Officer at Research In Motion in January 22, 2012. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer, Product Engineering, overseeing the BlackBerry smartphone portfolio world-wide.

Prior to joining RIM in 2007, Thorsten held several positions in the wireless arena including the Chief Technology Officer of Siemens' Communications Division and several general management positions in Hardware and Software businesses.

Thorsten holds a master's degree in Science and Physics from the University of Hannover in Germany. Thorsten also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce Inc. 

Press Release:

•    Board Acts on Recommendation of Co-CEOs to Implement Succession Plan 
•    Mike Lazaridis Named Vice Chair of the Board
•    Jim Balsillie Remains a Director
•    Barbara Stymiest Named Independent Board Chair
•    Prem Watsa Named Independent Director
   
Waterloo, ON – The Board of Directors of BlackBerry® maker Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced that, acting on the recommendation of its Co-Chief Executive Officers to implement the succession plan they previously submitted to the Board, it has unanimously named Thorsten Heins as President and Chief Executive Officer.  Mr. Heins was also appointed to RIM’s Board. The Board acted after conducting its own due diligence. Both appointments are effective immediately.

Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, has become Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and Chair of the Board’s new Innovation Committee. As Vice Chair, he will work closely with Mr. Heins to offer strategic counsel, provide a smooth transition and continue to promote the BlackBerry brand worldwide. 

Mr. Heins said he looks forward to continuing to work with Mr. Lazaridis, globally recognized as a technology pioneer. He said, “Mike created a whole new way of communicating and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration.”

On the transition to CEO by Mr. Heins, Mr. Lazaridis said, “There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the Board and told them that we thought that time was now.  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 and beyond.  Jim, the Board and I all agreed that leader should be Thorsten Heins.”

Jim Balsillie remains a member of the Board. “I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company,” he said. “I remain a significant shareholder and a Director and, of course, they will have my full support.”

Mr. Lazaridis said that he decided to move from Co-Chair to Vice Chair of the Board in order to return the public’s focus to what is most important: “the great company we have built, its iconic products, global brand and its talented employees.”  

Mr. Lazaridis added, “Thorsten has demonstrated throughout his tenure at RIM that he has the right mix of leadership, relevant industry experience and skills to take the company forward.  We have been impressed with his operational skills at both RIM and Siemens.  I am so confident in RIM’s future that I intend to purchase an additional $50 million of the company’s shares, as permitted, in the open market.”

Mr. Heins said he believes that RIM has tremendous potential.  He joined RIM from Siemens Communications Group in December 2007 as Senior Vice President for Hardware Engineering and became Chief Operating Officer for Product and Sales in August 2011.

“Mike and Jim took a bold step 18 months ago when RIM purchased QNX to shepherd the transformation of the BlackBerry platform for the next decade,” Mr. Heins said.  “We are more confident than ever that was the right path. It is Mike and Jim’s continued unwillingness to sacrifice long-term value for short-term gain which has made RIM the great company that it is today.  I share that philosophy and am very excited about the company’s future.”

Mr. Heins said that RIM has a strong foundation on which to build. “We have a strong balance sheet with approximately $1.5 billion in cash at the end of the last quarter and negligible debt.  We reported revenue of $5.2 billion in our last quarter, up 24% from the prior quarter, and a 35% year-to-year increase in the BlackBerry subscriber base, which is now over 75 million.”

Mr. Heins said, “BlackBerry 7 has been well received.  We are very excited about PlayBook 2.0 and BlackBerry 10.  The reception of our products at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show was encouraging.” 

He continued, “RIM earned its reputation by focusing relentlessly on the customer and delivering unique mobile communications solutions. We intend to build on this heritage to expand BlackBerry’s leadership position.” 

Mr. Heins said that RIM has grown quickly. “As with any company that has grown as fast as we have, there have been inevitable growing pains,” he said. “We have learned from those challenges and, I believe, we have and will become a stronger company as a result.

“Going forward, we will continue to focus both on short-term and long-term growth, strategic planning, a customer- and market-based product approach, and flawless execution. We are in the process of recruiting a new Chief Marketing Officer to work closely with our product and sales teams to deliver the most compelling products and services.”

Barbara Stymiest, who formerly served as a member of Royal Bank of Canada’s Group Executive and has been a member of RIM’s Board since 2007, has been named the independent Board Chair. John Richardson, formerly Lead Director, will remain on the Board.  Prem Watsa, Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings, also was named to the Board, expanding it to 11 members.

Speaking on behalf of the Board, Ms. Stymiest said:  “We believe that Thorsten is the right executive to succeed Mike and Jim.  He has 27 years of telecommunications experience, including four years at RIM in senior management positions.  As a Board, we have been impressed with his outstanding management skills, his leadership and his accomplishments within the company.”

Ms. Stymiest also expressed the Board’s respect and admiration for Messrs. Lazaridis and Balsillie, the company they built, and the steps they have taken to position RIM for the future.

“They created RIM, nurtured it, and in the process not only built an iconic brand, but literally pioneered the smartphone industry,” she said.  “It is Canada’s largest tech company and one of the largest in the world.”

Conference Call and Webcast
A conference call and live webcast will be held beginning at 8 am ET, January 23, 2012, which can be accessed by dialing 1-800-814-4859 (North America), (+1)416-644-3414 (outside North America) or through your personal computer or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet at www.rim.com/investors/events/index.shtml. A replay of the conference call will also be available at approximately 10 am ET by dialing (+1)416-640-1917 and entering passcode 4509630#. A replay of the webcast will be available on your personal computer or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet by clicking the link above. This replay will be available until midnight ET, February 6, 2012.

About Thorsten Heins
Thorsten Heins, 54, is a respected business leader with 27 years of broad experience and expertise in wireless networks and consumer electronics devices. Mr. Heins has a global reputation for his organizational and leadership skills and his ability to build successful organizations that deliver on their commitments. Prior to today’s announcement, Mr. Heins was one of RIM’s two Chief Operating Officers and, before that, Senior Vice President for the Handheld Business Unit.  He played key roles in the creation of RIM’s product portfolio. Mr. Heins came to RIM in December 2007 from the industrial conglomerate Siemens AG.  He joined Siemens in 1984 after graduating from the University of Hannover in his native Germany.  At Siemens, Mr. Heins rose through the ranks of R&D customer service, sales and product management positions.  After serving as Chief Executive Officer of various business divisions in the communication business, Mr. Heins moved to Chief Technology Officer and member of the Group Board of the Siemens Communications Group. He came to RIM after being impressed by the level of innovation displayed by founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. Mr. Heins is married with a daughter and a son. Away from RIM, he is usually outdoors bicycling, motorcycling, skiing or hiking.

About Barbara Stymiest
Barbara Stymiest has served as a director of RIM since March 2007.  She has an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, and an FCA from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.  Ms. Stymiest joined Royal Bank of Canada in 2004, where she served as a member of RBC’s Group Executive, which is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company.  Prior to that, she held positions as Chief Executive Officer at TSX Group Inc., Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer at BMO Nesbitt Burns and Partner of Ernst & Young LLP.  Ms. Stymiest is currently a Director of George Weston Limited, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Royal Ontario Museum. 

About Prem Watsa
Prem Watsa is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, a financial services holding company whose corporate objective is to achieve a high rate of return on invested capital and build long-term shareholder value, since 1985. He is also Vice President of Hamblin Watsa Investment Counsel Ltd. since 1985. Mr. Watsa formerly served as Vice President of GW Asset Management from 1983 to 1984 and in various positions, ultimately as a Vice President, with Confederation Life Investment Counsel from 1974 to 1983.

About Research In Motion
Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.RIM.com or www.BlackBerry.com.

Canada: RIM board preparing to appoint independent chairman.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

BlackBerry maker RIM is reportedly preparing to relieve co-CEOs Mike Laziridis and Jim Balsillie of their titles of co-chairmen of the board and install independent director Barbara Stymiest in their place, according to Canada’s Financial Post.

Sources said Stymiest, the former Royal Bank of Canada COO who joined the RIM board in 2007, is the leading candidate to replace Laziridis and Balsillie, with the company under considerable pressure from shareholders, including a group led by Canadian merchant bank Jaguar Financial.

Seven independent directors of the RIM board, including Stymiest, are examining the board structure, and considering the possibility of an independent chair and how important it is for the business for Laziridis and Balsillie to have significant board titles in addition to their CEO remit.

A report is expected from the independent directors on 31 January. "The committee is on track to meet this schedule and the board will then publicly respond to the recommendations of the committee within 30 days," RIM said in a statement. However, the company did not comment on the possibility of a change in board leadership.

RIM agreed to a governance review in July last year to avoid a public confrontation at the annual general shareholders’ meeting. Shareholder Northwest & Ethical Investments had previously submitted a proposal to divide the chair and CEO roles and for there to be an independent chair.

RIM’s share price hit a seven-year low in November after the company’s stock price fell by more than 70 percent during 2011 as declining sales and earnings - as well as several service issues - took their toll.

Laziridis and Balsillie have been supported by the company’s independent directors in their commitment to develop a new OS for its products, based on the QNX platform which supports the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The first generation of devices using BlackBerry 10 – previously known as BBX - aren’t scheduled to appear until the second half of 2012 at the earliest.