RIM CEOs may lose chairmanship

The Times of India reports.

The National Post newspaper, citing "sources familiar with events", said Barbara Stymiest, currently an independent member of RIM's board, is leading the race to replace Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie in the chairmanship.

RIM shares jumped more than 7% on investor hopes that the struggling BlackBerry maker was listening to increasingly strident demands for change, Reuters notes.

"Any talk about an independent chairman is going to give this company a boost. It will increase the likelihood the value of this company will be unlocked," said BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis.

But other analysts doubted Stymiest, if named to the chairmanship, would actually assume the transformational role that activist shareholders are calling for, The Times of India states.

Lazaridis and Balsillie, RIM's second- and third-largest shareholders with a little more than 5% of the stock apiece, are currently in the unusual position of sharing the two top-tier positions, as chairman and as CEO.

They have resisted large-scale change so far, even as investor pressures mounted as the shares tumbled 75% last year after a series of profit warnings, and the botched launch and dismal sales of its PlayBook tablet computer.