RIM appoints new COO and CMO as it looks to bolster executive team

Research In Motion (RIM) today announced the hiring of Kristian Tear as chief operating officer and Frank Boulben as chief marketing officer.

Frank Boulben, left and Kristian Tear, right

Tear joins RIM from Sony Mobile Communications, where he served as executive VP. He previously held a variety of operational leadership positions with Ericsson in Europe, Asia and Latin America. At RIM, Tear will oversee all operational functions for handhelds and services, including research and development, products, global sales, manufacturing and supply chain. 

Boulben is the former executive VP of Strategy, Marketing and Sales for LightSquared. He joined LightSquared after serving as global director of Commercial Strategy for Vodafone Group and executive VP of Brand and Consumer Marketing for Orange Group. Boulben will oversee global marketing efforts at RIM.