Jim Balsillie, the former co-CEO of Research In Motion (RIM), now known as BlackBerry Limited, stepped down from his executive role in 2012. Since then, he has been involved in various business, philanthropic, and advocacy activities, focusing on innovation and public policy in Canada.
Jim Balsillie’s tenure at RIM ended when he and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis resigned from their positions in January 2012, amidst the company’s declining market share due to intense competition from Apple’s iPhone and Android-based smartphones. Thorsten Heins succeeded them as the new CEO. Balsillie also resigned from the board of directors a few months later.
After leaving BlackBerry, Balsillie has not retired from the public eye. Instead, he has channeled his efforts into several initiatives. He is the founder of the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), a think tank that focuses on international governance challenges, and he has been actively involved in the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET). His philanthropic efforts have been directed towards supporting innovation in Canada, including a significant donation to the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
Balsillie has also been vocal about the importance of intellectual property rights and the need for Canada to bolster its competitiveness in the global economy. He has served on various boards and advisory committees, including the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI), which advocates for policy changes to support Canadian technology companies.
In recent years, Balsillie has been critical of the handling of personal data by tech giants and has called for stricter data privacy regulations. He has also been involved in discussions about the economic and social impacts of technology, emphasizing the need for policies that ensure the benefits of innovation are widely shared across society. His post-BlackBerry career reflects his ongoing commitment to influencing public policy and fostering innovation in Canada and beyond.