Apple SVP Bob Mansfield Leaving Exec Team; Will Work on 'Special Projects' Reporting to Tim Cook [Updated]

[KochHead]

Rip?

Have any of you heartless bastards considered that Bob might not be with us any more?

 

[Glideslope]

Well....

Let's just hope he is ok, and is just calling it quits. I believe he does have some health issues that are tough for a pressure cooker position.

My opinion is that he has just said "I'm done. Going home to be with my family".

I certainly hope Tim is keeping Apple an "equal opportunity employer".

 

[tbrand7]

Bob Mansfield should have played Curley in the last Three Stooges movie

 

[polee]

I can see it now... Apple right now is preparing to lay him off on Monday and he doesn't even know it, but now he does because he just read this article!

Lol this is funny!

 

[scbn]

Hmmm... this is odd. Apple should announce it first.

 

[MaxinMusicCity]

Anyone who tries to spin this as "just normal turnover within the industry, nothing to be excited over" would be dead wrong. Mansfield is probably second to Ive in what he's added to Apple. Not a good thing if he leaves.

While I hate to see such talented people leave, it is nonetheless inevitable. Noone can go on forever. Change is a part of life. There have to be bright young dedicated personel who have been under his guidance and wlll be ready to take the reigns.

I'm not prepared to abandon ship just because senior officials are nearing retirement. It happens at ALL companies. Even Apple!

 

[ChrisTX]

Bob seems to have some weight issues(not being disrespectful, just stating the obvious). Let's hope he is in good health. He seemed to be very level headed, and made some of my favorite Apple products very speedy!

 

[whocaresit]

IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE FOR !

..iOS 7.. Bob Mansfield leaving.. Scott Forstall fired.. Steve Jobs is no more

 

[Rogifan]

Hmm...

Poornima Gupta @PoornimaGupta

Apple says Bob Mansfield is no longer on Apple's exec team but will remain at Apple working on special projects reporting to Cook. $AAPL
9:37 PM - 28 Jul 2013
30 RETWEETS 5 FAVORITES

 

[scbn]

OK. Speculation is over.

Just saw the update - so he's laser focusing on some special project (aka iWatch) and doesn't have time to be on the executive team!

Update: According to Reuters reporter Poornima Gupta, "Bob Mansfield is no longer on Apple's exec team but will remain at Apple working on special projects reporting to Cook."

 

[mcdj]

Maybe it's just iRetirement Beta 2.

 

[smulji]

What if Kevin Lynch is his replacement.

Considering that he's a VP and reports directly to Mansfield, I wouldn't be surprised if he does.

 

[Nathan W]

With this timing... it probably means all the hardware work for this round of new products (Mac, iPhone, etc...) is done.

 

[mcdj]

IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE FOR !

..iOS 7.. Bob Mansfield leaving.. Scott Forstall fired.. Steve Jobs is no more

Oh no. Not you again.

 

[Rogifan]

Considering that he's a VP and reports directly to Mansfield, I wouldn't be surprised if he does.

How weird would that be?!?

 

[SeattleMoose]

Translation...Bob is an engineer thru and thru and doesn't want to be burdened with the BS side of "management". He wants to play in the lab and DESIGN. He is more "Woz" than "SJ".

So glad to see that he is going to be given some rope to do just that.

 

[smulji]

Translation...Bob is an engineer thru and thru and doesn't want to be burdened with the BS side of "management". He wants to play in the lab and DESIGN. He is more "Woz" than "SJ".

So glad to see that he is going to be given some rope to do just that.

pretty much.

 

[Arran]

He wants to play in the lab and DESIGN. He is more "Woz" than "SJ".

Good for him if true.

No disrespect to TC, but IMHO SJ was more of a "Woz" than TC will ever be, so I can see why he'd want out. TC doesn't exude that "love-of-product" like SJ did.

 

[Infinitewisdom]

For all we know, this could've been in the works for a while and whoever is in charge of the website just got wind of the order to take Bob off of the exec team section.

 

[Patriot24]

Clearly he is leading the hardware side of either the iWatch or the TV efforts. My guess is that Cook told him, "come back and help us change the world one more time. If that isn't enough, here are a boatload of shares."

 

[Rogifan]

Let all the speculation begin on Mansfield's motives.

I wonder who takes over Technologies or does that position just go away?

 

[smulji]

Good for him if true.

No disrespect to TC, but IMHO SJ was more of a "Woz" than TC will ever be, so I can see why he'd want out. TC doesn't exude that "love-of-product" like SJ did.

SJ was never really a "Woz." He was more of a Jony Ive.

 

[Jayse]

So he milked Apple as much as he could, and now he's either 1) moving on or 2) retiring. Either way, smart guy!

Or 3) wrong.

 

[Solomani]

OK. Speculation is over.

Just saw the update - so he's laser focusing on some special project (aka iWatch) and doesn't have time to be on the executive team!

Ask ourselves: Where are Bob Mansfield's talents and skills best used at? Being an executive/administrative leader? Or working alongside other engineers/developers at Apple? If the answer is the latter, then this move makes sense.

Imagine if General George Patton was pulled from the European battlefield and instead was 'promoted' with a higher-ranking (administrative) "desk job" in Washington DC. That would have been a stupid move.

 

[smulji]

Or 3) wrong.

The guy's in his 50's and worth tens of millions of dollars for doing extremely creative work. What's he wrong about?