Thorsten Heins

Heins was born in Gifhorn, Germany in 1957. He has a graduate diploma in science and physics from the University of Hannover.

Heins has worked at Siemens, BlackBerry, Powermat Technologies and in public service.

Heins spent 23 years working at Siemens. He worked in several positions related to wireless technology including the chief technology officer of Siemens' communications division and several general management roles in hardware and software.{{cite web |last=Cheng |first=Roger |date=22 November 2014 |title=Ex-BlackBerry CEO Heins: 'I have no regrets' (Q&A) |url=http://www.cnet.com/news/ex-blackberry-ceo-heins-i-have-no-regrets-q-a/ |publisher=CNET|website=cnet.com |location=United States |access-date=13 July 2016}}

Heins joined Research In Motion (now BlackBerry) in 2007. He rose through the ranks starting as senior vice president of BlackBerry's handheld unit; chief operating officer for product engineering, and finally chief operating officer for product and sales in July 2011.{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=23733784&ticker=RIM:CN&previousCapId=399960&previousTitle=RESEARCH%20IN%20MOTION |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125234850/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=23733784&ticker=RIM:CN&previousCapId=399960&previousTitle=RESEARCH+IN+MOTION |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 25, 2012 |title=Thorsten Heins: Executive Profile & Biography |website=businessweek.com |date= |accessdate=2012-01-23}} In January 2012, Heins was named to succeed co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis as president and CEO. During his time as CEO, the company continued to struggle in a rapidly changing market. Heins was responsible for BlackBerry's development of the BlackBerry 10 line of consumer and enterprise devices.{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111225633/https://financialpost.com/technology/not-a-good-business-model-blackberry-ceo-predicts-demise-of-tablet-in-5-years|archivedate=2020-11-11|url=https://financialpost.com/technology/not-a-good-business-model-blackberry-ceo-predicts-demise-of-tablet-in-5-years|website=financialpost.com|publisher=Financial Post|author=Anon|year=2013|title='Not a good business model:' BlackBerry CEO predicts demise of tablet in 5 years|quote=“In five years I don’t think there’ll be a reason to have a tablet anymore ... Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such. Tablets themselves are not a good business model.”}} In 2012, Heins was named Cantech Letter's 2012 TSX Executive of the Year{{cite web|url=http://www.cantechletter.com/2013/01/thorsten-heins-cantech-letters-2012-tsx-executive-of-the-year/|title= Thorsten Heins: Cantech Letter's 2012 TSX Executive of the Year|date= 11 January 2013|publisher=Cantech Letter|accessdate=2015-03-31|website=cantechletter.com}} and ranked a year later as third on a list of the worst CEOs of 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20131212-the-worst-ceos-of-2013 |title= The worst CEOs of 2013 |publisher=BBC|website=bbc.com|accessdate=2014-06-06|first=Sydney |last=Finkelstein|year= 2014}}

Heins was replaced by John Chen, a veteran Silicon Valley executive, during a November 2013 management shakeup and left the company with a $13.8 million severance.{{cite web|first=Charles |last=Arthur |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/04/blackberry-fires-ceo-thorsten-heins-fairfax-bid-collapses |title= BlackBerry fires CEO Thorsten Heins as $4.7bn Fairfax rescue bid collapses |publisher=The Guardian|website=theguardian.com |date=2013-11-04 |accessdate=2013-11-04}} Prem Watsa, the board member who recruited John Chen said, "Thorsten did a very good job given the hand that he was dealt, but resigned because you can’t have two people being in charge. He said to me, ‘It’s very appropriate for me to resign. I like John Chen, but I’m a CEO and there is one person in charge.’"

After leaving BlackBerry in 2013, Heins went on to become the chairman and CEO of Powermat Technologies. During Heins' tenure Powermat secured an agreement from Samsung to incorporate its wireless charging technology into future smartphones.{{Cite web|url=https://mobilesyrup.com/2016/03/02/despite-rumours-former-blackberry-head-thorsten-heins-remains-ceo-of-powermat/|title=Despite rumours, former BlackBerry head Thorsten Heins remains CEO of Powermat|date=2016-03-02|website=mobilesyrup.com|language=en|access-date=2020-03-20|first=Igor |last=Bonifacic}}

Heins found himself in the middle of a battle between two factions on Powermat's board. Since October 2015, he and some board members were the target of a lawsuit by other Powermat board members led by founder Ran Poliakane for allegedly running the company without an approved budget. Investors like Goldman Sachs and Hudson Clean Energy backed Heins. Heins and other board members, constituting a majority of the directors, countersued. Heins resigned from Powermat in July 2016. Heins' resignation helped settle the lawsuits just mentioned and allowed for new investment from several important shareholders.{{cite web |last=Cheng |first=Roger |date=28 June 2016 |title=Ex-BlackBerry CEO Heins resigns from wireless charging company |url=http://www.cnet.com/news/ex-blackberry-ceo-heins-resigns-from-wireless-charging-company/ |publisher=CNET|website=cnet.com|location=United States |access-date=13 July 2016}} Heins had earlier threatened to leave due to what he called a hostile work environment.{{cite web |last=Jain |first=Aman |date=30 June 2012 |title=Former BlackBerry Ltd CEO Heins Quits As Powermat CEO

|url=http://www.valuewalk.com/2016/06/former-blackberry-ceo-quits-powermat/ |website=valuewalk.com |location=United States |access-date=13 July 2016}}{{cite web |last=Slater-Robbins |first=Max |date=11 December 2015 |title=The ex-CEO of BlackBerry is being sued by members of his board for allegedly creating a 'serious trust crisis'

|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-blackberry-ceo-thorsten-heins-is-being-sued-2015-12 |website=businessinsider.com|publisher=Business Insider |location=United Kingdom |access-date=13 July 2016}}

As of 2012, Heins was on the board of the German Canadian Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Toronto.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cio.com/article/2400221/10-things-to-know-about-rim-s-new-ceo--thorsten-heins.html|title=10 Things to Know About RIM's New CEO, Thorsten Heins|last=Sacco|first=Al|date=2012-01-23|website=cio.com|language=en|access-date=2020-03-20}} As of 2016, Heins is on the University of Waterloo's board of governors.{{Cite web|url=https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat/governance/board-governors/board-governors-may-1-2012-april-30-2013|title=Board of Governors - membership|date=2012-05-08|website=uwaterloo.ca|language=en|access-date=2020-03-20}}

Heins has a daughter and a son with his wife, Petra.

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Category:1957 births

Category:Leibniz University Hannover alumni

Category:People from Gifhorn

Category:Directors of BlackBerry Limited

Category:Canadian technology chief executives

Category:Living people

Category:German emigrants to Canada

Category:Chief technology officers