Who do you think will replace Steve Jobs?

I was just thinking about this...who do you guys think would eventually replace Steve Jobs as CEO and the face of Apple? Its obviously going to be tough to fill his shoes, but there will come that time.

I think the big four are:

Tim Cook, COO
Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing
Scott Forstall, Senior Vice President of iPhone Software
Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President of Industrial Design

They're all significant members of Apple...Schiller & Forstall being the prominent keynote members. I would say Forstall isn't that charismatic though. Well, while we're at it, neither is Schiller...but I'd stay Schiller is better.

But Ive is the quiet guy in the background, who could be the second most important person behind Steve Jobs. He's the Industrial Design head, he's the one behind the iMacs, iPods and iPhones. Apple's all about design, and that's Ive's job. Although Ive would probably never do keynotes though...

Just want an interesting discussion and opinions!

 

Definately not Ive, hell he made Steve go up and accept a prize for him because he is so shy. ^^

Hopefully no one will replace Steve, Apple are dead without him in my opinion. ^^

Wouldn't it be awesome if me, or Bill Gates took over after Steve?

 

Jonathan Ive for me

Without him there are no apple for us .........to eat

 

It would be based on whoever has the best ideas. I don't know much about the details about the people themselves, but it would definitely be someone that has the best ideas and can really carry apple on in innovation and can run the company most effectively. If the CEO is too shy to talk in front of a large crowd, other arrangements can be made. Innovation is the top priority, not who is the most charismatic or the best speech-giver(although that would definitely help).

 

Steve's still got a bunch more years left in him, so by then maybe more people will pop up.

 

I'm looking in my direction

 

Not that I'm a super huge fan of the guy or anything but personally I don't think there's anyone that can replace him.

 

I disagree. The CEO role is a leadership role. I can't imagine any CEO that won't address a large crowd, at least of their own employees. You can always hire someone to do the design work... but people (employees and investors) look to the CEO for leadership, direction, reassurance, etc. And also management. CEO is essentially the top management position. It's inherently a social position.

I agree. Bill Gates was replaced by a group of people (as in the stuff that Gates used to do is now divided among several people), and I think that'll probably (someday) happen with Steve Jobs too. Still, one of those people will become the CEO, just like at Microsoft.

 

Steve........







Ballmer?


http://macboy.com/cartoons/ballmer/




But seriously, it'll be hard to swallow the fact that the next person who'll be doing the keynote won't be wearing a black turtleneck. It won't be for a while of course, so we'll see if there is another brilliant mind that is currently unknown that will emerge from the rankings!

 

Almost definitely Jonathan Ive. That man has been just so, so instrumental in Apple's success that its impossible to imagine anyone else succeeding His Jobsness.

 

I think it will be hard to replace the enthusiasm and passion that he has. He's only 53 or so, if he want's he can go longer. Plus he's only worth like 3 billion.

 

Not so sure about that. Steve's cancer has been hitting him hard. Notice how much thinner he has gotten over the last 2 years? He looks very skeletal. At any rate, I think he's one the best salesman on earth and nobody will be able to truly replace him. He's made a lot of money for Apple based soley on how he sells to the public and creates enormous hype.
Phill Shiller would be best for his replacement.

 

Yeah, I think Phil Schiller will take over as the face of the company, Scott Forstall and Jonathan Ive continue to do the innovation and Tim Cook does all the managing.

 

I'm not necessarily expecting it, but Apple's board could also choose someone from another company to be Apple's CEO. They've done it a couple of times before.

 

You gotta understand that the surgery he performed to get rid of his cancer also makes them perform additional surgery besides removing the affected part similar to the gastric bypass for obese people, which will lead to him having 10% permanent weight loss, and if he had the flue as Apple said, it would be really hard for him to regain the weight due to this surgery.

 

You cant make Jonathan Ives the CEO. He wont be able to fully focus on his specialty (design), and his leadership skills just aren't there.

 

Chuck Norris or Steven Seagal

 

Another clone. The current Steve Jobs is #3.

 

Oh Snap! Steve performed the surgery. Man he's quite talented!

 

Schiller and Forstall are okay presenters with Schiller seeming to be a bit better, probably because of experience, but I can't see them consistently carrying the keynotes at Macworld and WWDC.

I think in the end Steve Job's replacement will be someone from outside the company. Given how Apple works, they will probably be hired quietly, given a fairly big position and some time at Apple to learn the ropes. I don't think Jobs would "groom" the person as much since I think he'll give the newcomer the opportunity to do things their way. But at the right time, Jobs will do a "One more thing" and spring the person on us. Everyone will panic since they won't know who the person is at first, but then on further reflection will realize that the person has been there for a while and everyone should have seen this coming.

http://arstechnica.com/journals/app...y-engineer-joining-apples-product-design-team

An example is Apple's hiring of Doug Field, CTO and VP of Design at Segway, to take the position of VP Design under Ive. It seems to have been announced through a forum post by a former employee of Segway. Supposedly, Jobs doesn't like the Segway, yet they hired it's designer. I'm not saying that Field will replace Jobs, since I've never seen him speak so I don't know if he's any good. But, the way he's been hired (quietly), and the position he's been given, is indicative of how I think it will be done. And if Field does end up being CEO, you can say you heard it from me first. (Since I haven't seen anyone else mention it.)

 

Sylvester Stallone?

 

Better idea, they should just hire me.

Oh, and one more thing....black turtlenecks are da ****, people.

 

The time is right for...

 

I know one thing for sure. Whoever it is, they won't have a larger ego than Steve.

 

darth vader

 

I'm suprised that no one has suggested that Steve won't pass Apple on to Woz. Woz would probably try and make Apple how it was back in the 80s though. But hey, maybe we would see an Apple IV?

 

Well, I don't think Woz could probably handle the corporate giant that Apple has become now...Woz was always more of the "programmer" and not the "manager" that Jobs was more.

 

either way, i rly think that they should hire me.

 

Whoever it is, they will see Apple's stock prices plunge on the day Steve Jobs retires.

 

Yeah, that's very likely, unless over the next few years the next CEO will already be more and more exposed and its more and more evident that he/she will be the next CEO, then maybe the effect won't be as bad.

 

Bill Gates will replace Steve Jobs.

 

yah, im sure bill gates will be the one..