BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. has lost another senior marketing executive as it struggles with a product transition that has triggered profit warnings and a sharp share-price drop.
Brian Wallace, RIM's vice president of digital marketing and media, has left RIM for Samsung Telecommunications America. Samsung confirmed the move Monday.
RIM representatives weren't immediately available for comment. Samsung said Mr. Wallace wasn't available for comment.
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MarketBeat: RIM Shares Fall 5%
Earlier: RIM Warns of More BlackBerry Blues (6/17/2011)
"At this point Samsung confirms the news, but [has] no additional comments," a Samsung Telecommunications spokeswoman said in an email. Samsung Telecom is a unit of Samsung Electronics Co.
Mr. Wallace's departure comes amid a time of turmoil for Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM. The BlackBerry maker is bleeding market share in the U.S. as its aging product line struggles to compete against Apple Inc.'s iPhone and devices powered by Google Inc.'s Android-operating system, such as Samsung's Galaxy. Last week, RIM's shares fell to five-year lows after the company issued disappointing second-quarter guidance and said it would begin reducing its head count.
Mr. Wallace is the latest senior departure from RIM's marketing department. Keith Pardy left the company in February after serving as chief marketing officer for two years. His departure came just weeks before RIM was to launch its PlayBook tablet, the company's most important roll-out in years.
Paul Kalbflesich, a vice president of brand creativity at RIM for 11 years, left RIM earlier this year, replaced by Roger Baxter, a former chief strategy officer for Publicis Group SA's Seattle unit.
Last week, RIM also said that one of its three chief operating officers, Don Morrison, had left the company temporarily on medical leave but that he would eventually return. Meanwhile, RIM said Larry Conlee, a former COO who retired in 2009, has returned in an advisory role. RIM representatives haven't commented specifically on Mr. Conlee's role at the company or on how Mr. Morrison's duties are being handled during his medical leave.
Write to Stuart Weinberg at stuart.weinberg@dowjones.com.
Corrections & Amplifications
An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Mr. Wallace's title at RIM.
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