BlackBerry appointed John J. Giamatteo as CEO and a member of its board on December 11, 2023, effective immediately. The company announced the appointment alongside a change in its corporate-structure plan: it would stop pursuing an IPO of its IoT business and instead seek to operate IoT and Cybersecurity as standalone divisions. That was an announced plan, not confirmation that the separation was completed.
When did John Giamatteo become BlackBerry CEO?
BlackBerry announced the appointment on December 11, 2023, and said it took effect immediately. Giamatteo was then president of BlackBerry’s Cybersecurity business. Richard (Dick) Lynch, who had become interim CEO on November 4, continued as Board Chair after the appointment. BlackBerry’s December 11 announcement, filed with the SEC, and its quarterly filing for the period ended November 30, 2023 document the succession.
Who is John Giamatteo?
At the time of his appointment, Giamatteo had led BlackBerry Cybersecurity since October 2021. BlackBerry described him in its announcement as having more than 30 years of experience with global technology companies. Before joining BlackBerry, he was McAfee’s president and chief revenue officer from 2013 to 2020, and held leadership roles at AVG Technologies, Solera, RealNetworks and Nortel Networks. The experience figure and career summary are the company’s biographical account, rather than an independently audited measure. The appointment announcement and SEC Form 8-K provide the details.
Why did BlackBerry appoint a new CEO?
BlackBerry’s board presented Giamatteo’s appointment as part of the company’s transformation. Mike Daniels, then chair of the Compensation, Nomination and Governance Committee, said Giamatteo’s industry experience and operational record positioned him to lead that effort. This was the board representative’s rationale, not an independent evaluation of his performance.
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The succession followed John Chen’s retirement from the CEO and Executive Chair roles on November 3, 2023. Lynch, a board member, assumed the Board Chair role and interim CEO duties on November 4. Giamatteo’s appointment ended the interim period. BlackBerry’s quarterly filing records that chronology.
What business-structure change did BlackBerry announce?
The December 11 announcement paired the leadership change with a revised plan for BlackBerry’s businesses. The company said it would pursue a full separation of IoT and Cybersecurity as standalone divisions, stop pursuing an IPO of an IoT subsidiary, and separate and streamline centralized functions. It described independently operated, profitable and cash-flow-positive divisions as its objective. Those statements describe intentions and targets; the announcement does not establish that the changes or financial outcomes were later achieved.
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| Plan | Announced structure | Status established by the announcement |
|---|---|---|
| Earlier proposal | IPO of an IoT subsidiary | BlackBerry said it would no longer pursue this option. |
| December 2023 plan | Full separation of IoT and Cybersecurity into standalone divisions, with centralized functions separated and streamlined | Announced as an intended course; the release does not confirm completion. |
The change was therefore a shift in the proposed route to separating the businesses, not evidence that IoT had already become a separately listed company or that the divisions had already reached the stated profitability and cash-flow goals. The plan and its aims are set out in BlackBerry’s December 11, 2023 release.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is Giamatteo’s role now?
BlackBerry’s company overview identifies Giamatteo as CEO and a director since December 2023. A fiscal 2026 SEC annual report lists him as CEO, President of Secure Communications, and a director. That later business-unit title differs from his Cybersecurity presidency at the time of his appointment. BlackBerry’s leadership overview and its fiscal 2026 annual report provide the later status.
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