BlackBerry named John J. Giamatteo its CEO and a member of its board on December 11, 2023, with both appointments effective immediately. The announcement also set out a planned restructuring of the company’s Cybersecurity and Internet of Things (IoT) businesses; it described intended changes, not confirmation that they were completed.
When did John Giamatteo become BlackBerry CEO?
BlackBerry announced Giamatteo’s appointment on December 11, 2023. It took effect immediately, and he joined the board at the same time. Richard (Dick) Lynch, who had become interim CEO and Board Chair in November, continued as Board Chair after the appointment.
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The succession followed John Chen’s retirement from the CEO and Executive Chair roles on November 3, 2023. Lynch assumed the Board Chair role and interim CEO duties on November 4, according to BlackBerry’s quarterly filing for the period ended November 30, 2023. The company’s December 11 announcement confirmed Giamatteo as the permanent CEO.
Who is John J. Giamatteo?
At the time of his appointment, Giamatteo was president of BlackBerry’s Cybersecurity business, a role he had held since October 2021. BlackBerry described him as having more than 30 years of experience with global technology companies. That experience figure is the company’s characterization in its announcement.
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Before joining BlackBerry, he was president and chief revenue officer at McAfee from 2013 to 2020. BlackBerry also cited leadership roles at AVG Technologies, Solera, RealNetworks and Nortel Networks. The company included this background in its SEC-filed appointment release.
Why did BlackBerry appoint a new CEO?
BlackBerry’s stated rationale was to have an experienced leader guide its transformation. Mike Daniels, then chair of the board’s Compensation, Nomination and Governance Committee, said Giamatteo’s industry experience and operational record positioned him to lead that work. This was the committee chair’s explanation of the board’s decision, not an independent evaluation of Giamatteo.
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Giamatteo said he was honored to lead the next phase of BlackBerry’s evolution. His statement, like Daniels’s, appeared in the company’s December 11, 2023 announcement.
What strategy did BlackBerry announce with the appointment?
Alongside the CEO appointment, BlackBerry said it would pursue a full separation of its IoT and Cybersecurity businesses into standalone divisions. It also said it would stop pursuing an initial public offering of an IoT subsidiary and separate and streamline centralized functions. The stated aim was for the divisions to operate independently and be profitable and cash-flow-positive. Those were objectives in the announcement, not reported results.
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How the plan changed
| Proposal | Announced structure | Status in December 2023 announcement |
|---|---|---|
| Earlier IoT subsidiary IPO plan | BlackBerry had previously proposed taking an IoT subsidiary public. | BlackBerry said it would no longer pursue this route. |
| December 2023 separation plan | Separate IoT and Cybersecurity as standalone divisions and streamline centralized functions. | Announced as the company’s intended course; the release did not establish that the separation was completed. |
BlackBerry’s quarterly filing provides context for the earlier strategic review, while the appointment release sets out the revised plan.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is Giamatteo’s role at BlackBerry now?
BlackBerry’s current leadership overview identifies Giamatteo as CEO and a director since December 2023. A later fiscal 2026 annual report lists him as CEO, President of Secure Communications and a director. The Secure Communications title reflects the later filing; at the time of his appointment, BlackBerry identified him as president of Cybersecurity.
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