Bad News: What About Apple After Steve Jobs?

Think the bad, the unthinkable. What happens to Apple, the Mac, the iPod, and Mac users when Steve Jobs leaves Apple?

Who’s sufficiently capable to fill those very large shoes? Who would want the job? Who makes the selection?

This question pops up from time to time, more so now that Apple is enjoying tremendous success at every corner.

Is there and heir apparent in the Apple management hierarchy? Some say yes, some say not. Is an outsider capable of leading Apple?

Ask any 100 Mac watchers and you’re like to get about 127 different answers.

Writer Douglas McIntyre says Apple’s stock options back-dating problems are getting worse. I don’t think so, but give the man some room.

After all, it was a set of messy management decisions that ousted folks from HP’s board recently. Could Steve Jobs be next?

Most outsiders and insiders say no, which means McIntyre’s argument is thin enough not to skate on. Stranger things have happened.

Assume the worst from a couple of angles. Steve Jobs is forced to resign. Or, worse, Steve Jobs becomes too ill and must step aside.

Either way, Apple’s high flying stock is likely to take a huge hit as Jobs is very much intertwined with Apple’s success and the decisions that beget that success.

McIntyre lists a who’s who of potential candidates to fill the CEO slot at Apple should Jobs depart (for whatever reason).

Among them are Phil Schiller, Apple’s capable and chubby head of global marketing.

Tough and quiet is Tim Cook, head of the Mac division. He’s on the short list.

The rest of the list needs water, a little seasoning, and, well, the rest of the list needs to have more names to replace the names on the rest of the list.

Jerome York? Yes, he’s on Apple’s board, but at 70 he’s hardly Apple culture savvy. Jim Allchin? Puhleeze. He’s responsible for Windows Vista. No thanks.

Sue Decker, CFO of Yahoo? She’s a bean counter. Female CEO’s in high profile, high tech companies haven’t fared well lately.

Those are McIntyre’s top choices. Steve Wozniak is not on the short list, though he might bring back a better menu at the Apple cafeteria.

You’d certainly see him there more often, right?

Apple’s key designer, Jonathan Ive is considered a hot property, but has little experience beyond design.

Bertrand Serlet, Apple’s senior VP of software engineering would make an interesting candidate. Trying to understand anything he said would make it interesting.

As it stands, I have no desire to keep or track a list of potential Jobs replacements. Apple would be hurt more this time than when he left in 1985.

Still, speculation is a dish best served hot, so my money is on Tim Cook, Apple’s COO. Lots of experience and respect inside and outside Apple.

Who’s your choice for leader of the free Mac world? Got a list? Got an idea? It’s time to share your short list with other readers.