Who should replace Steve Jobs and why?

[wrldwzrd89]

When Steve Jobs becomes unable to continue his work at Apple, for whatever reason (retirement included), who should Apple pick to replace him, and why would you choose this person?

My pick is Phil Schiller.

Judging by the time he did a keynote while Steve Jobs was ill, he's got much the same charm that Steve has. I think he's even picked up traces of Steve's legendary RDF (Reality Distortion Field). Phil's a creative and marketing type too - just the kind of person everyone wants to replace Steve Jobs.

[Solafaa]

Every large company has steps where if someone like Jobs dies or was to leave with little notice the company will not loss much (well atleast all good companys). I am sure there are many people who can do his job in Apple, Steave cant be doing everything, he is like the captin of a ship he just directs the ship and gets it to where it should go.

I would not want to see him go, only good things has happend to apple since he joined (2nd time), but if worst comes to worst i am 100% Apple will still make great products and be as good as it is right now.

[Veldek]

I think they should pick me ;)

Just kidding. Phil Schiller seems an obvious pick, because he held a keynote when Steve was unavailable, but we don’t know if there’s someone else who’s just as good. There might even come someone from outside Apple.

[BakedBeans]

Bill gates III

[Chaszmyr]

Phil Schiller is great, and I could see Apple appointing him CEO after Jobs, but could he really take SJ's place? Could anyone? I mean, lots of people can run a company, but would Apple be quite the same without SJ's vision?

[virividox]

Bill gates III

shudder at the thought, unless he brings conan obrien along :D

[crap freakboy]

Phil Schiller gives me the creeps, puts me in mind of a shifty secondhand car salesman. Also that accent is, well gets on my nerves.
I'd personally prefer Ives.

[BakedBeans]

shudder at the thought, unless he brings conan obrien along :D

Developers, developers... come on... get jobs out get conan in, i think its obvious what we need to do :)


s for jay ives, hmmm wont it just all be pretty pretty without any power?

[svejar]

Woz!! :)

[vollspacken]

Heinz Nixdorf ;)

vSpacken

[tdhurst]

I say I should be hired. Free apple products for all those who write me letters of recommendation!

[NEENAHBOY]

It probably will be Phil Schiller, but it SHOULD be either Woz or Oppenheimer.

[stubeeef]

An anal, neurotic, genius that has grown up on apples and no one knows him/her yet.

[noel4r]

how about Jonathan Ive?

[Patmian212]

I'd pick wozniak, no buisness sense but hes got hart...and potential to lose alot of money for apple :rolleyes: ...so on second thought id go for Ives.

[wrldwzrd89]

how about Jonathan Ive?
Jonathan Ives would be a good replacement too - all that style of his will guide Apple along. Does he have what it takes to be a CEO, though - that's the big question.

[hcuar]

Considering replace SJ the first time didn't go so well... I'm not looking forward to him ever leaving Apple.

[wrldwzrd89]

Considering replace SJ the first time didn't go so well... I'm not looking forward to him ever leaving Apple.
I certainly hope Apple learned from that mistake. It's in Apple's best interests to plan for the eventual departure of their CEO. I like having him around myself, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't grow to like Phil Schiller/Jonathan Ives/whoever replaces him.

[snkTab]

I hear Michael Eisner is looking for a new job.

j/k

[wdlove]

Since Steve is going to be 50 this year, he could be around for 10 years or so. The replacement that they probably grooming should be longer, so that person would be around for a while. Steve's replacement could also be female, how about the one during the Keynote that was from Paris?

[wrldwzrd89]

Since Steve is going to be 50 this year, he could be around for 10 years or so. The replacement that they probably grooming should be longer, so that person would be around for a while. Steve's replacement could also be female, how about the one during the Keynote that was from Paris?
Good point wdlove - although I don't remember the specific person you refer to. Apple would be in line with HP in that respect, assuming Carly Fiorina stays around (or her replacement is also female).

[jlewis2k1]

hmm i dont know about you guys but i think seeing a female replacing Steve would be groundbreaking or something close. Apple seems to have a reputation for doing groundbreaking things, so why couldnt they do something that is groundbreaking for the future of Apple? Yea, there is a female CEO for HP but it is still a pretty big thing, so I would actually like to see something like this to happen. :-)

[Chaszmyr]

Good point wdlove - although I don't remember the specific person you refer to. Apple would be in line with HP in that respect, assuming Carly Fiorina stays around (or her replacement is also female).

It was Danika Cleary, iPod and iSight product manager.

[dsharits]

How 'bout we rehire John Sculley? :eek:

Wow, I can't believe that even went through my head. I can't bear the thought of Jobs leaving Apple for the final time either, but it has to happen some time (hopefully not for a long, long, long time though). I see either Schiller or Ive taking over at that point, but who knows? Maybe somebody else will come on the scene between now and the time that Jobs retires.

Daniel

[mrgreen4242]

By the time Jobs retires Apple sould probably split into several smaller companies, each with it's own CEO and single board of directors to guide the whole thing in one direction.

I'm thinking an iPod/iTMS company, a computer manufacturer and OS company, a software (iLife, iWorks, FCP, etc), and a PDA company (I want a new Newton! ;-) ).

The only position that I would fill is Woz for the PDA company... That branch should also handle any Apple branded cell phones, etc. Each seperate company should have full IP rights to any product the other develop, so, for example, an Apple PDA could encorporate the iPod software for it's built in music player, and software developers would have access to any and all innovations from the next generation OS that is being worked on etc.

I suggest this becasue it seems that the success of the iPod is going to warrant a significant chunk of Apples resources in the future, and it is clearly a profitable market. Seperating them apart will free each business unit to do what is good/profitable for IT'S sector, and not have to worry about the "whole bottom line".

Rob

[varmit]

Clone of Steve Jobs.

For real, you need someone that holds Apple to high standards just like SJ does right now. Who that is, probably wont know for at least another 10 years.

[blackfox]

Al Gore.

Hell, he's on the BOD already, and what else has he got to do?

Besides, he did create the Internet...

[Apple!Freak]

No one will replace Steve Jobs. Period. Plan and simple.

[Toppa G's]

I know that I would not want Jonathan Ive as the CEO of Apple, from a shareholder's standpoint (the ones who really matter in a corporation). Putting a design person in charge of a multibillion dollar company would not be a good fit. Sure, he has the fantastic design eye and whatnot, but does he have the business smarts? In a Wired article, he was described as "egoless," a polar opposite of Mr. Jobs.

I don't know for sure, but I'm betting that his shrewdness pales in comparison to Jobs. Mr. Jobs can sell a half-sock for $5, and make the consumer buy 6 of them at once. Simply amazing, and also somewhat frightening.

Of Apple's current crop, Phil Schiller would be my pick. :confused:

[SuperChuck]

Phil Schiller seems like a really great guy, but he's majorly lacking in the "cool" department. Apple is as much about selling "cool" as it is about selling computers. If he does get the gig, I hope he drops the attempts at humor that have marred his previous keynote appearances - especially the "I'm pretending I traveled a great distance to get here after that iSight chat" routine. Once was bad. Two years in a row was unforgivable. Woof.

[3Memos]

Tim Cook perhaps?

[Mechcozmo]

Ballmer. Gotta have Ballmer.
:p

I heard on Fox News recently that Dell needs someone like Steve Jobs to work there, because everything he touches turns to gold and that Dell needs that kinda help now. I don't think Steve is going to take on that job....

[MacFan25863]

The obvious solution is to clone Jobs.


Infact...why not make a whole army of Jobs? They could take over every corp. on the planet :D

[3Memos]

The obvious solution is to clone Jobs.


Infact...why not make a whole army of Jobs? They could take over every corp. on the planet :D

Bad idea. Every computer would have 1 button mice and cost $15,000 dollars.

[Mechcozmo]

Bad idea. Every computer would have 1 button mice and cost $15,000 dollars.

But they would look sexy. ;)

[solvs]

It would have to be someone younger. Phil is great, but how old is he? Plus, he really doesn't have the RDF down. Can't be Tim or Jon. Danika seems a good fit. They must be grooming somebody, especially after the cancer scare. They'll need a good mix of style and ego, like any good artist.

I'd rather just not think about it.

[snkTab]

Bipolar robot?

[wrldwzrd89]

Bipolar robot?
This thread was meant to be serious, and now it's gotten all weird and silly :confused: :(

Oh well. I guess this thread has served its purpose now and can safely be locked.

[sjpetry]

Jobs won't quit until he dies. ;) :p

[yamabushi]

Ken Kutaragi of Sony Corp./ Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. would have the expertise, experience, and vision to run Apple well. However it is doubtful that he could be pried away from Sony.

[sjpetry]

Ken Kutaragi of Sony Corp./ Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. would have the expertise, experience, and vision to run Apple well. However it is doubtful that he could be pried away from Sony.

Is that the president? :)

[Macophile]

Woz? From everything I've ever read by or about him, he's got absolutely no interest in running a corporation. If they forced him into it, it would be interesting, but the company would bleed red ink before it died. He'd come up with great ideas for products, but I don't think he has the slave driver capability to get them out the door. (And bless him for that and for being who he is.)

Phil Schiller would be a great interim choice in the event that something happened to Jobs, like, tomorrow (e.g., the ol' hit-by-a-bus scenario). He could steward the company through a rough time, but I don't know if he's got a long-term vision to keep it moving forward. He would, however, be crucial in picking a permanent replacement; he "gets" Apple.

The thing about Jobs' tenures as CEO is that while the man returned, the manager in the second era is very, very different. And much of that would seem to be due to the drama of creating a company from scratch and having it all taken away. He runs things based not only on a determination not to make the same mistakes that he made the first time around, but also to not make the mistakes that the people who followed him made, either. That's some hard-earned wisdom that not a lot of corporate executives have.

It also means that whoever takes over is going to have a thankless time of it. Apple is never going to be his or her company. There will never be any creation myth about him or her building the first machine in a garage with a buddy. "[CEO-elect's name here] bought his first Mac with the help of his father's credit card when he was sixteen years old" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

So, in short, I have absolutely no ide who would make a good replacement. If Apple is smart, there's an ever-changing short list of people to approach if something happens, always evolving -- names added, names scratched off -- based upon what Apple's needs are and how well those people could serve them.