John Chen, the CEO of BlackBerry, will be leaving the company at the end of the week [036e1e2d]. Chen joined the BlackBerry board in 2013 and is credited with saving the company and repositioning it as a software company with leading cybersecurity and IoT technologies. His departure aligns with the terms of his contract and follows the conclusion of the board's evaluation, which will see BlackBerry spinning off its IoT division from the cybersecurity unit. Chen expressed his gratitude to the BlackBerry community and wished the company success in the future.
Chen arrived at BlackBerry in 2013 when the company was struggling after losing market share to Apple and Android devices. He implemented a strategy to focus on enterprise security and the internet of things, leading to the company's transformation. The decision to split the company into two parts next year prompted Chen to discuss his future with the board. Chen's departure marks the end of his successful tenure at BlackBerry [036e1e2d].