RIM's new chairwoman vows more change

Barbara Stymiest, the new chairwoman of Research in Motion, has vowed to make changes to the company's board of directors in order to regain market share, according to Bloomberg.

"Driving change in an organization means a high-performing board and a high-quality management team," Stymiest told Bloomberg, "You get those two right and you can drive change."

Stymiest took over leadership of the companys board from founder Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, who served as co-Chairs until a major shake-up in January.

RIMs stock has fallen over 70 per cent in the past year, and investors believe that a major shake-up in the companys strategy is necessary. Thorsten Heins, who took over the role of CEO from Lazaridis and Balsillie in last months shakeup, was roundly criticized by analysts and investors alike for his 'stay the course' message.

Last year, investment firm Northwest & Ethical Investments demanded a management overhaul, prompting RIM to review its management structure, ultimately leading to the removal of Lazaridis and Balsillie and the appointment of Heins and Stymiest.

Doubting the ability to change

Not every investor is confident in Stymiests ability to sufficiently change up RIM's board of directors, including one ofthe largest ones, Jaguar Financial.

Vic Alboini, President & CEO of Jaguar Financial, has been one of the more vocal proponents for a change at RIM. In an interview last week on CBC News' The Lang & OLeary Exchange, he said he doesnt think Stymiest is "strong enough to cause dramatic change."

"I would like her to prove us wrong," Alboini said, but he added that the window of opportunity is very short, likelyfour to sixmonths. Alboini is pushing for a wider breadth of experience on the board, including a "tech heavyweight" and a "marketing star" with international experience.

Stymiesttold Bloomberg she is hoping to fill those gaps in the board of directors knowledge.