New BlackBerry CEO John Chen continues to put together the executive team that he hopes will help him turn the company’s fortunes around. BlackBerry today appointed Ron Louks as President, Devices and Emerging Solutions.
According to Chen:
“Ron will focus on BlackBerry’s long-term product roadmap, including hardware, software and design, as well as the Company’s joint development efforts. A good deal of Ron’s time will be spent with customers, carriers and partners. On our path to return BlackBerry to profitability, nothing is more important than remaining deeply connected to our customers, and designing and delivering secure products that exceed their expectations.”
Ron Louks comes to BlackBerry from The OpenNMS Group, where he served as the Chief Executive Officer. He has also held positions with other smartphone manufacturers as Chief Strategy Officer at HTC America Inc. and Chief Technology Officer at Sony Ericsson.
Despite a dismal start for BlackBerry 10 smartphones, BlackBerry is not ready to give up on smartphones. It is expected to soon unveil a new entry-level 3G BlackBerry 10 smartphone codenamed Jakarta for emerging markets. It is also working on high-end devices codenamed Windermere and Ontario.
BLACKBERRY APPOINTS LEADERSHIP FOR DEVICES BUSINESS
Waterloo, ON – BlackBerry® Limited (NASDAQ:BBRY; TSX:BB), a world leader in mobile communications, today announced that Ron Louks will join the Company as President, Devices and Emerging Solutions reporting to BlackBerry’s Executive Chair and CEO, John Chen.
“I am pleased to add another outstanding addition to BlackBerry’s executive leadership team with the announcement of Ron today,” said Chen. “I am confident that Ron will bring the skills and expertise that will make an immediate impact to BlackBerry and to our customers around the world.”
Chen added, “Ron will focus on BlackBerry’s long-term product roadmap, including hardware, software and design, as well as the Company’s joint development efforts. A good deal of Ron’s time will be spent with customers, carriers and partners. On our path to return BlackBerry to profitability, nothing is more important than remaining deeply connected to our customers, and designing and delivering secure products that exceed their expectations.”
Ron Louks joins BlackBerry from The OpenNMS Group, where he served as the Chief Executive Officer. Prior to that, Ron held many leadership positions over several decades in the technology industry, including as the Chief Strategy Officer of HTC America Inc. and the Chief Technology Officer at Sony Ericsson.
About BlackBerry
A global leader in mobile communications, BlackBerry® revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Company trades under the ticker symbols “BB” on the Toronto Stock Exchange and “BBRY” on the NASDAQ. For more information, visit www.blackberry.com.
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