The co-chief executives of Blackberry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) have stepped down as part of a shake-up at the firm.
Mike Lazaridis, who founded RIM in 1984, will become vice chairman, while Jim Balsillie will continue as a director but will not have any operational role.
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They are replaced by chief operating officer Thorsten Heins, who came to RIM in December 2007 from the industrial conglomerate Siemens AG.
"There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership," said Lazaridis.
"Jim [Balsillie] 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," he added.
