[mjdimer]

Interesting news from the Verge:

BlackBerry fires head of US sales as it reportedly plans another round of job cuts | The Verge

What does this mean for our US cousins?

[Wiki Cydia]

It means I need to get my resume in ASAP.

[phuoc]

Thor has till the end of this year, he's running out of people to fire.

[trwrt]

Don't they mean "head of US sale"? LOL

From the article:

In an annual shareholders meeting on Tuesday, CEO Thorsten Heins told unhappy shareholders that while the US launch of BlackBerry 10 wasn't a disaster, US carriers didn't help matters by displaying "opportunistic thinking" in promoting Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy handsets more than BB10 phones.

What a comedian that Heins is.

[nhanken]

Phew i thought that BlackBerry fired the president

Posted via CB10

[njblackberry]

Thor also said that Frank and the team did a great job.
What a comedian. Frank Boulben should have been let go also.

[STV0726]

Thor also said that Frank and the team did a great job.
What a comedian. Frank Boulben should have been let go also.

And it is how, precisely, that you know that it is greatly his fault? Sure he is partly responsible, but I would think the Head of US Sales is the one to fire, at least first...

...and TBH while it is certainly no excuse to fall back on as BBRY needed to do a great deal more in the US advertising right, Heins is spot on when he made the comment on US carriers not helping.

Tired of arm chair CEOs.

~STV on Z10STL100-3/10.1.0.2025 TMO US

[njblackberry]

I am sorry you are tired of arm chair CEOs.
Feel free to ignore anyone with a suggestion that you disagree with.

I sat with Frank and Richard at the launch in New York. Head all about the amazing program they were going to have to rekindle interest in the US.

Guess they missed it last quarter. And now they will revitalize the market.

[STV0726]

I am sorry you are tired of arm chair CEOs.
Feel free to ignore anyone with a suggestion that you disagree with.

I sat with Frank and Richard at the launch in New York. Head all about the amazing program they were going to have to rekindle interest in the US.

Guess they missed it last quarter. And now they will revitalize the market.

How did you get to sit down with them?

And I only use the term "arm chair CEO" to refer to the fact that just about anyone and everyone on here could have advice for BlackBerry corporate direction, but most don't have the business experience needed to truly understand, myself included.

Maybe you do. I understand you are a former BlackBerry fan who has parted ways but are still following what's going on?

~STV on Z10STL100-3/10.1.0.2025 TMO US

[kevinnugent]

This poor VP was a scapegoat. Evidently he was fired a month ago. Just about the same time that Heins was telling us how great things were.

[njblackberry]

How did you get to sit down with them?

And I only use the term "arm chair CEO" to refer to the fact that just about anyone and everyone on here could have advice for BlackBerry corporate direction, but most don't have the business experience needed to truly understand, myself included.

Maybe you do. I understand you are a former BlackBerry fan who has parted ways but are still following what's going on?

~STV on Z10STL100-3/10.1.0.2025 TMO US

Not sure what you do or don't understand.
I still have a Z10 and a Q10. I have some show stoppers that prevent me from using them as my primary mobile device. It isn't a mobile computing device or ecosystem. It's a phone.
I am waiting for software updates to make the phone usable for me (if you find it usable then excellent).
I am still a fan of BlackBerry. I see them making the same mistakes and showing the same arrogance that almost destroyed the company.
I just can't use the devices today and am willing to express my opinion.

[SparkyBC]

Up next Thor.....

[njblackberry]

Up next Thor.....

I doubt it. He got a vote of confidence publicly from the board. He has at least two more quarters.

[STV0726]

Not sure what you do or don't understand.
I still have a Z10 and a Q10. I have some show stoppers that prevent me from using them as my primary mobile device. It isn't a mobile computing device or ecosystem. It's a phone.
I am waiting for software updates to make the phone usable for me (if you find it usable then excellent).
I am still a fan of BlackBerry. I see them making the same mistakes and showing the same arrogance that almost destroyed the company.
I just can't use the devices today and am willing to express my opinion.

Woah...you bought a Z10 and a Q10 and are holding onto them in hopes for future software updates making it how you want it? Plus whatever else you have as your daily driver device...you must be made of green backs.

Anyway, I see the issue you see too. While they certainly are smartphones, I'm just not sure I see the mobile computing yet. But then again, nor do I see it with WinMo, iOS, nor Droid.

~STV on Z10STL100-3/10.1.0.2025 TMO US

[serbanescu]

Good for them! I haven't seen anything showing the man was doing his job. Maybe with the money formerly spent on him they could finally buy some advertising space.

--------------------

Calorie Monitor Pro for Z10, Q10, Q5 and PlayBook

[mjdimer]

Thor also said that Frank and the team did a great job.
What a comedian. Frank Boulben should have been let go also.

I'm in two minds about this. I think the problem may be more structural. Ie, marketing in Australia has improved, it's on billboards etc. That being said, remember the wake up campaign that also was in oz, for the bold only a few months before bb10?

What frank has done is simplify the message to three benefits. Flow, type better, and never miss the right moment. That's absolutely the right thing to do.

Perhaps it's the regional marketing heads that need to be either consolidated, or improved.

Again, a possibility, but I doubt the head of marketing would be able to do so much detail worldwide.

Posted via CB10

[njblackberry]

Find out who hired Alicia Keys.
Start there.

[the_sleuth]

Someone has to be accountable. But where were the BB sales people visiting the carriers retail stores to ensure training, posters, local promotions, and retail store displays are ready for launch of each product:: Z10 and Q10 respectively? Where was the marketing and sales action plans? I did some research. There are 2,200 AT&T wireless retail stores and Verizon has over 2,000 also. BlackBerry should have at least 75 sales people visiting the stores by region on a regular basis. Are they short staffed due to layoffs? If management thinks visiting only carrier HQ will do the trick. Then, this is very misguided.

[Sith_Apprentice]

This is unfortunate for Rich on a personal level, he is a good guy, but this is a move to show that BlackBerry is serious about the US Market.

[Sith_Apprentice]

Someone has to be accountable. But where were the BB sales people visiting the carriers retail stores to ensure training, posters, local promotions, and retail store displays are ready for launch of each product:: Z10 and Q10 respectively? Where was the marketing and sales action plans? I did some research. There are 2,200 AT&T wireless retail stores and Verizon has over 2,000 also. BlackBerry should have at least 75 sales people visiting the stores by region on a regular basis. Are they short staffed due to layoffs? If management thinks visiting only carrier HQ will do the trick. Then, this is very misguided.

This would all fall under the VP of US Sales.

[Harvey Specter]

Well somebody HAD to go for that disaster.

[STV0726]

Find out who hired Alicia Keys.
Start there.

I don't have an issue with Alicia Keys. She isn't a spokesperson. She is the Global Creative Director. It is a great position to have and promote for a company that used to be, as you say, arrogant, and all about business and 'who needs the creativity.'


While there certainly is room for improvement, I am quite fond of the image she brings to the company and moreover what she is doing with BlackBerry for women in the technology science fields.

~STV on Z10STL100-3/10.1.0.2025 TMO US

[Gekko]

maybe that poor b*****d Piasentin wasn't given the tools to do the job ie budget, product, marketing, support, etc. and he's the patsy, he's the fall guy?

[richardat]

Well somebody HAD to go for that disaster.

Perhaps...the problem is....what about the rest of the world? Is there a VP for "everywhere else" they can fire? ;-)

[richardat]

maybe that poor b*****d Piasentin wasn't given the tools to do the job ie budget, product, marketing, support, etc. and he's the patsy, he's the fall guy?

Very much doubt he did much of anything of significance (edit: during the launch) without Heins full awareness and approval.