Research In Motion Ltd.’s (RIM) head of developer relations is leaving the company, adding to a spate of executive departures at the maker of BlackBerry smartphones. Tyler Lessard, vice-president, global alliances and developer relations, will leave in the coming weeks, RIM spokeswoman Marisa Conway said in an email on Thursday.
He will be replaced by Alec Saunders, a former executive at QNX Software Systems, the company RIM bought in April 2010 to provide the core of its new smartphone operating system, she said.
RIM is overhauling its operating system in an effort to reverse two years of market share losses to Apple and Google. Lessard is at least the fifth prominent executive to leave RIM in as many months. Mike Kirkup, senior director of developer relations, anno-unced his departure in a blog post in August.
Ryan Bidan, the product manager in charge of RIM's PlayBook tablet computer, left for Samsung Electronics in July. Brian Wallace left his job as head of digital marketing at RIM, to join Samsung in June. Chief Marketing Officer Keith Pardy gave his notice with the company in March.
Lessard's departure was reported earlier by the blog crackberry. com, which also said Jeff McDowell, senior vice- president, platform marketing and alliances, has left the company. RIM's Conway wouldn't immediately comment on McDowell.
{{/usCountry}}Lessard's departure was reported earlier by the blog crackberry. com, which also said Jeff McDowell, senior vice- president, platform marketing and alliances, has left the company. RIM's Conway wouldn't immediately comment on McDowell.
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