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Apple Announces Retirement of Bob Mansfield, Senior VP of Hardware Engineering
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Could be health related. Can you imagine the stress of that position?
Stay 3 more and not see your grandchildren grow up, or leave now and help them on their way? Pretty simple to me.
I think you nailed it there... Like you said; the stress must be enormous! Seems to me this position has always had a pretty fast turnover of staff and that's probably partly down to the huge pressure the job must bring with it... Good luck to Bob; he seemed a nice fella on the videos; really hope he enjoys the money and retirement
Maybe he's got enough already? Maybe there are things in life more important than accumulating more money?
No, that's the dream of MBA's. People like Steve Jobs are in business because it fulfills them. It's their passion. That's why they make great products. Other people, whose main goal is getting rich, just make average products that are designed to make the most money.
I'm certainly not suggesting Mr. Mansfield is in the latter camp however. The stress that comes with making something great can wear someone down in a profound way. I certainly believe it contributed to Jobs' health. It, by most accounts, killed film director Krzysztof Kieslowski. So I certainly don't blame anyone for stepping out early.
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I think he's done a great job in the last decade, its sad to see the original dream team slowly fading away. I definitely don't think he is retiring from work for his stock payout. People like him aren't exactly starving, sure it would be nice to have a bunch of money in the bank, but if he's learned anything from Steve, all the extra money does nothing for you (in the book steve mentions people who went off and bought Rolls Royces and it did nothing for them).
He will likely go and start a new company because people like him would get restless easily. Best of luck to him.
He will likely go and start a new company because people like him would get restless easily. Best of luck to him.
Sure, passion is great but a passion doesn't necessarily have to be at work.
For example, design might be his passion, but maybe he wants to design some things in his spare time for himself not just computers for Apple. Or Maybe Bob likes butterflies and wants to spend some time looking at them. Who knows?
The point is that you can only do something for so long before you need to switch it up. And once you've made your money, you aren't motivated by that any more.
I wasn't implying that Bob was in it just for the money and had no passion for the work, I was just saying that once you've made so much (tens of millions of dollars) you look at things differently. You can be more selective with how you spend your time.
And passions are often fleeting. They can last for short bursts of time, perhaps even lifetimes in some cases, but its really a case by case thing. And if you don't have the energy anymore or you just want to enjoy other things for a while, then you walk away even from something you're passionate about.
Judging by the fact he graduated college in 1982, that would put him in his early 50's right now. Maybe he just wants to enjoy his family, traveling, and other things while he physically still can enjoy them instead of spending all his time at Apple HQ.
The bulk of people who own one use it for such. It is a tool for some, but they are not the majority.
I'm so insanely jealous!!!
The young man looks like he's barely out of his 20's, and he has enough to retire 20 times over.
Well, more power to him. He has apparently done a wonderful job at Apple, and I'm sure he will find some way to continue his work...or just hang out!!
I'm so insanely jealous!!!
The young man looks like he's barely out of his 20's, and he has enough to retire 20 times over.
Well, more power to him. He has apparently done a wonderful job at Apple, and I'm sure he will find some way to continue his work...or just hang out!!
I'm so insanely jealous!!!
Which is why you'll never have the money. These people do what they do because they love it. Just happens to be in a domain that made them millions... It was never their idea to "just work my ass off till I get rich so I can quit."
If that were the case Bob, (Jobs, Jony, et. al.) could have "quit" a long time ago. They didn't come because they were told they were going to make millions. They came because they believed they could change the world. And when they did they were rewarded handsomely for it.
For those that aren't aware, Bob Mansfield personally hugs every iMac and Mac Pro that rolls off the production line.
This is clearly the end of an era.
This is clearly the end of an era.
Was he ever live on stage during a keynote? Or only present in the promotional videos they showed?
Nice to see a Mechanical Engineering taking the seat. Steve would want that type of leader in the position.
I'll have to agree with the above posters who said there's an underlying reason for his retirement at 50.
For all we know, he's been told that he needs to reduce his stress (and probably his weight) or suffer a heart attack.
Whatever the reason, I wish him the best.
For all we know, he's been told that he needs to reduce his stress (and probably his weight) or suffer a heart attack.
Whatever the reason, I wish him the best.
What an insulting comment. Not only are you complaining when someone retires after a lifetime of hard work, but you question their judgment as they exit.
That might be true, and I'm not reading into Mansfield's motives, nor did I assume you were. What I took issue with was your statement that the "dream in business is to get rich." I think that's a modern American dream furthered by certain business schools. Of course every business wants to make money, and make a good profit. But our modern business culture that chases the dollar and lets quarterly profits dictate business strategy is poison in the well of American capitalism.
Old school tech companies used to invest heavily in R&D. Their focus was making innovative products. Look back 50 years, and Xerox, Bell Labs, and Hewlett-Packard were changing the face of technology. Apple grew out of that culture, while it still existed, and fortunately still maintains it. But they are one of the last of a dying breed. Everything is about ROI now -- no research, just copy what everyone else is doing and churn out cheap ****. This is not just hardware, either -- this attitude is rampant in software. Facebook, Instagram, Zynga. These companies are focused on getting as rich as possible. Not on serving customers in the best way. Although business schools and venture capitalists really infected the tech industry, this started with Microsoft, and Bill Gates. A guy who retired early and rich beyond imagination. I don't say that to make a comparison to Mr. Mansfield, but I say that because Gates grew up in the same shadow of the old tech companies (though maybe not as hippie; he grew up in a privileged environment in Seattle) as Steve Jobs and made a choice to focus on money instead of great products.
I use that term 'customer' deliberately because modern companies don't use that term anymore. Everyone is a 'consumer'. The change in that word means a lot. When we were customers, companies existed to benefit us. When we are seen as consumers, we exist to benefit companies.
And I think all of that, it comes back to the original matter -- do you go into business to get rich, or to make great things that will help people? I believe the world is better off with people who do the latter.