Appletonia – Opine on anything of momentary interest

Recent reports claim Apple’s Jonathan Ive (designer of the iMac) has purchased a mansion in the UK, while endless rumors regarding the need for a proper succession plan for Apple is on desperate need.  It is clear that there are important candidates, but Apple must choose one that has the vision, and the intellectual stimulus to innovate and create new products & divisions to grow Apple appropriately.

There is an incredible opportunity for Apple – especially now – as the technology sector and web technologies emerge at rapid pace. I have opined in other entries in this blog endlessly about this.

Appletonia is reporting that “company-watchers” are asking if Apple can produce a new Steve Jobs? What if something happens to Apple’s individualistic entrepreneur, Jobs?
Well something will.

I am very skeptical Apple will make a good choice.
If Tim Cook succeeds, this finance operational wizard might as well shoot innovation in the head at Apple.
Without innovation Apple could look like a Microsoft stock, or worse.

With no proper succession strategy  disclosed by Apple, people are wondering who could it be?
It is no secret that Jobs has always favored Cook.

The first logical choice is Tim Cook, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer. Cook filled in for Jobs when the company’s CEO was fighting cancer in 2004. This is not a play of logic.  The guy is a finance operations guy.  He will not innovate.

Cook was the best person to choose to maintain Apple’s relations with other companies at the time.
He still reported only to Jobs. That’s why.

Apple should have enough time to consider a future CEO that combines some of Steve’s qualities. And that is NOT COOK! No offense Tim, you are great.  But it doesn’t appear you can innovate.  Only the future will tell if we are right . . . and we will be!

In Jobs’ interview at Fortune  this year  he said “we’ve got really capable people at Apple. I made Tim Cook COO and gave him the Mac division and he’s done brilliantly…” Jobs also stated:

“I mean, some people say, ‘Oh God, if Jobs got run over by a bus, Apple would be in trouble.’ And, you know, I think it wouldn’t be a party but there are really capable people at Apple. And the board would have some good choices about who to pick as CEO. My job is to make the whole executive team good enough to be successors, so that’s what I try to do.”
OK Steve, but tell them not to pick Tim, Please?

Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone is fitted for the job. Imagine Jobs having Microsoft’s Ballmer on his team. Would that be OK …?

Jobs, Cook and Ive aside, there are seven possible successors to the Apple “throne”:
– Daniel Cooperman (General Counsel and Secretary);
– Tony Fadell (senior vice president, iPod division);
– Scott Forstall (Senior VP, iPhone software);
– Bob Mansfield (senior VP Mac Hardware Engineering);
– Peter Oppenheimer (CFO);
– Phil Schiller (Worldwide Product Marketing chief);

Who would you pick?

I know who I would . . .
😉

Filed under: Scott Dresden |