The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports that Research In Motion’s chief marketing officer, Keith Pardy (pictured), is leaving the BlackBerry maker. The move comes just weeks ahead of its most high-profile product launch ever, although Pardy is reported to be helping the company over a six-month transition period. The report claims RIM said Pardy is leaving “for personal reasons,” although there is no word on whether a successor has been appointed or targeted. Pardy joined RIM in December 2009 and, according to his biography on the vendor’s website, is “responsible for the overall health of the BlackBerry brand.” He has previously worked for Nokia and Coca-Cola.

The resignation comes shortly before the expected launch of RIM’s PlayBook tablet computer, which will enter a crowded market dominated by Apple’s iPad. The WSJ notes that “it reflects larger turmoil in RIM, as the company struggles to remake itself from a maker of corporate-workhorse devices known for security and reliability to a producer of hip, media-savvy gadgets that can compete with the likes of Apple’s iPhones and iPads.” Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis, told the WSJ that “RIM’s challenge is product, and another is perception.”