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Jakarta –

CEO Blackberries John Chen announced that he would retire from the first week of November 2023. This resignation marks the end of his ten-year career at the head of the Canadian technology company.

According to Reuters, John Chen announced that he will step down as CEO of BlackBerry (BB.TO) in the first week of November 2023. He is stepping down after a decade at the helm of the company. John has overseen many changes within the company. Previously focused on hardware sales, he became a software seller.

On Monday (10/30/2023), BlackBerry announced that BlackBerry board member Richard Lynch was officially named interim CEO. This comes as the company searches for a permanent replacement for John Chen. Chen will also relinquish his responsibilities as chairman of the board of directors of BlackBerry and will be replaced by Lynch.

Shares of the US-listed company rose 6.5% after several media companies announced the resignation of John Chen.

For information, John Chen (68) joined BlackBerry in November 2013. He witnessed the company’s downfall after Apple launched the iPhone in 2007 and the rapid development of Android cell phones at the same time.

Amid this situation, BlackBerry decided to change direction and focus on developing cybersecurity technologies, automotive software, and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

In early October 2023, BlackBerry also announced that it would separate its IoT and cybersecurity businesses and was targeting an IPO for its subsidiaries engaged in the IoT sector in fiscal 2024.

Meanwhile, in 2022, BlackBerry will shut down its smartphone business and try to sell its patents on mobile devices.

(da/da)