The ailing mobile phone maker is eyeing additional layoffs beyond the 5,000 announced during its last fiscal year, says the Wall Street Journal. July 10, 2013 6:20 AM PDT BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins. (Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) BlackBerry is eyeing another round of layoffs as part of its ongoing restructuring, according to the Wall Street Journal. Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Journal said on the Wednesday that the job cuts would affect middle management across the sales and support divisions. The new layoffs would come on top of the 5,000 cuts planned during the company's last fiscal year. One person already hit by a job loss is Richard Piasentin, BlackBerry's sales VP in the U.S. The Journal's sources say that Piasentin was fired in June. A BlackBerry spokesman confirmed his departure to the Journal but declined to comment about any layoffs. CNET also contacted BlackBerry for comment and will update the story with any further information. A couple of board members are also bailing out on BlackBerry. At its shareholders meeting on Tuesday, the company announced that John Wetmore and former chairman John Richardson won't pursue re-election to the board. BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins continues to face unhappy investors who keep questioning the company's strategy admist its poor performance. For its fiscal first quarter, BlackBerry turned in a loss while Wall Street had anticipated a small profit. The company also expects another loss for the current quarter. One shareholder at Tuesday's meeting referred to the rollout of the BlackBerry Z10 as a "disaster," the Journal noted, while another asked why the company was having such a tough time in the U.S. Heins pinned much of the blame on U.S. carriers, whom he said promote only the hottest devices, such as the iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy lineup.
The ailing mobile phone maker is eyeing additional layoffs beyond the 5,000 announced during its last fiscal year, says the Wall Street Journal.
BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
BlackBerry is eyeing another round of layoffs as part of its ongoing restructuring, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Journal said on the Wednesday that the job cuts would affect middle management across the sales and support divisions. The new layoffs would come on top of the 5,000 cuts planned during the company's last fiscal year.
One person already hit by a job loss is Richard Piasentin, BlackBerry's sales VP in the U.S. The Journal's sources say that Piasentin was fired in June. A BlackBerry spokesman confirmed his departure to the Journal but declined to comment about any layoffs.
CNET also contacted BlackBerry for comment and will update the story with any further information.
A couple of board members are also bailing out on BlackBerry. At its shareholders meeting on Tuesday, the company announced that John Wetmore and former chairman John Richardson won't pursue re-election to the board.
BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins continues to face unhappy investors who keep questioning the company's strategy admist its poor performance. For its fiscal first quarter, BlackBerry turned in a loss while Wall Street had anticipated a small profit. The company also expects another loss for the current quarter.
One shareholder at Tuesday's meeting referred to the rollout of the BlackBerry Z10 as a "disaster," the Journal noted, while another asked why the company was having such a tough time in the U.S.
Heins pinned much of the blame on U.S. carriers, whom he said promote only the hottest devices, such as the iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy lineup.
