14 DAY TRIAL // “Hurricane Tim” – that’s just one of the names the media has chosen to refer to Apple’s CEO following his decision to raid the executive ranks, which ended with the firing of two key figures in a single blow, and assigning new responsibilities to those left standing.
Tim Cook’s letter confirming a complete restructuring of Apple’s management came as a surprise to many employees, even high-profile figures, sources say.
When Apple put out the press release, engineers were caught off guard, according to several sources deep within the company.
But Tim Cook also sent a formal letter to everyone within Apple, explaining why “in one of the most prolific periods of innovation and new products in Apple’s history,” some drastic changes needed to be made.
“Today, I am announcing changes that will encourage even more collaboration between our world-class hardware, software and services teams at all levels of our company,” he wrote.
A few more lines below, many would then realize where this emphasis on collaboration really stemmed from.
To cut the suspense, it’s a direct result of Tim Cook firing Scott Forstall, the company’s SVP of iPhone Software, according to the aforementioned sources.
“As part of these changes, Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue, and Craig Federighi will be taking on more responsibilities,” Cook wrote.
“I am also announcing that Scott Forstall will be leaving Apple next year and will serve as an advisor to me during the interim. I want to thank Scott for all of his many contributions to Apple over his career,” Cook added, candidly.
Replacing Forstall in at least one tenure, “Jony Ive will provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company in addition to his longtime role as the leader of Industrial Design,” Cook confirmed.
The rest of the letter describes everyone else’s new attributions, including those of Bob Mansfield, once thought to retire. Not only is he staying on board, but Cook has given him a whole division to play with called “Technologies.”
Word on the web is that neither Ive, nor Mansfield could stand Forstall. And there were a few others as well who thought that Apple’s iOS whiz disrupted collaboration within the walls at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California.
Apparently Tim Cook had heard just about enough of Steve Jobs' protégé.
Now the spotlight is back on the CEO. Can he turn around some of the mess caused by these tensions?
A good start would be improving Maps and Siri, two services Forstall reportedly oversaw.