RIM executive shakeup continues with new COO, CMO

Kristian Tear will serve as RIM's new chief operating officer. He comes to the struggling smartphone maker from Sony Mobile Communications, where he served as executive vice president.

Tear's new role at RIM will have him oversee all operational functions for handhelds and services, including research and development, products, global sales, manufacturing and supply chain.

And Frank Boulben, former executive vice president at LightSquared, will be the new chief marketing officer at RIM. In that position, he will oversee global marketing efforts.

"Kristian and Frank bring extensive knowledge of the rapidly changing wireless global market and will help RIM as we sharpen our focus on delivering long-term value to our stakeholders," said Thorsten Heins, chief executive and president at RIM. "Most importantly, both Kristian and Frank possess a keen understanding of the emerging trends in mobile communications and computing."

RIM reported dismal earnings late last month as three major executives, including co-founder Jim Balsillie, left the company. The company's quarterly results were so poor that the RIM had to publicly clarify it did not plan to pull out of the consumer sector.

In April, RIM lost two more top executives, and the company revealed it was weighing its strategic options, which could include licensing its BlackBerry mobile operating system. The changes at RIM have continued since the company's co-CEOs stepped down in January, and were replaced by former chief operating officer Thorsten Heins.