In a recent interview with Kara Swisher on the “Sway” podcast, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that he doesn’t think he’ll be the head of Apple in ten years. So with that in mind, we posted this poll on our Twitter feed to you, dear reader: Who do you think should be Cook’s successor? And here are the results.
OK, we know Tim Cook isn't retiring for a while, but if he was, who do you think should be his successor?
— Macworld (@macworld) April 8, 2021
Federighi finishes first
Senior VP Craig Federighi was the top choice in the poll and that’s not surprising. Of all of Apple’s leaders, Federighi is the most recognized by Apple users and fans. He has taken over the mantle of showmanship during Apple events, able to combine enthusiasm, intelligence, humor, and charm in performances that are must-see.
CRAIG FEDERIGHI FTW
— 🇬🇷 Abdulrezzak Nurullahiyettinogullari 🇬🇷 (@Nurullahiyettin) April 8, 2021
No to COO
The main reason Federighi got the most votes is that he’s a successful leader of Apple’s OS development, and many Apple fans and our readers would like to see a “product” person lead the company again. That’s probably why Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams did poorly in our poll—despite the fact that Cook himself was COO before becoming CEO. Cook did have the endorsement of the man he replaced, Steve Jobs. So that helped. A little.
But the current CEO's preference should be for Jeff Williams. Both apparently have very similar characteristics and personalities. But I am not convinced that it would be the best option.
— _asfonseca 😷💉 (@_asfonseca) April 8, 2021
I concur. Jeff Williams is the most probable successor.
— iHadrami (@iHadrami_) April 8, 2021
Joz needs to market himself better
Surprisingly, Senior VP Greg “Joz” Jozwiak finished last in our poll. That’s not because he’s incapable of the job, but more likely that the people who voted in our poll aren’t that familiar with him. He replaced Phil Schiller last August and has recently been more present during Apple events. Another reason he didn’t do well in our poll: he’s a marketing guy, not a “product” guy, and as I mentioned before, Macworld readers have a preference for product people.
Federighi is popular because of his charismatic personality, but he is a technician and not a business executive. From this list, the best options are, without a doubt, Joswiak and Williams. I would prefer Joswiak, he seems to be more daring and has a more expansive personality.
— _asfonseca 😷💉 (@_asfonseca) April 8, 2021
The walking dead
Zombie Steve Jobs got the second-most votes in our poll, and we’re not surprised. When there’s a joke answer in a poll, some people will pick it, regardless of what they really believe. (I’m guilty of doing that.) But there’s a sizeable section of Apple’s fan base that is devoted to Steve Jobs, and a vote here is symbolic of that devotion.
Or you really, really want a zombie Steve Jobs as CEO.
Some of you took exception to our suggestion that a waking dead man could run the most powerful company in the world.
Wow that's bad taste
— Benj Edwards (@benjedwards) April 8, 2021
"Zombie Steve Jobs"? Seriously?
— TΛRΛS (@TarasBuria) April 8, 2021
Which goes to show that we here at Macworld should just stick to providing helpful and insightful content and stay away from the business of deciding the company’s next leader.
Other CEO candidates
Some readers had other suggestions on the next CEO. All of these “candidates” were alive at the time of this writing.
Ternus
— tweeted: (@innovationsdead) April 8, 2021
Scott Forstall
— Egil (@xep97) April 8, 2021
The person who designed the much maligned iPod Touch. All the functionality of an iPhone without the annoying ringing.
— W.L. Lewis (@ArtMusicLife) April 8, 2021
The four children, Reed Paul, Eve Jobs, Erin Sienna, & Lisa Brennan-Jobs.
— Pensive™ 🇺🇸💯🔥🌹💚 (@PensiveTM) April 8, 2021
Finally, no list of candidates would be complete without an obligatory mention of the second-most popular Apple person ever.
Steve Wozniak
— Maf Vosburgh (@MafVosburgh) April 8, 2021
