CNBC:
When it was announced in 2013 that Angela Ahrendts would leave her long-time role as chief executive of Burberry to run Apple’s stores, the fashion label’s shares went down 5.5 percent.
Today, Ahrendts admitted to doubts about the job opportunity at Apple. “It was funny … I fought joining Apple, because I thought I had the greatest job on the planet and we were flying, and life was incredible but it was the culture that we had built and the values of the team at Burberry that was so brilliant. (But Apple CEO) Tim (Cook) kept saying ‘trust me, trust me’,” she said, addressing an audience at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France on Wednesday.
Ahrendts is a very interesting person who I think is first in line as the next CEO of Apple.
Shawn, can you explain your thinking around why you believe Ahrendts is first in line to be the next CEO?
The problem is that Burberry went from being a store that sold high-quality clothing, much of it of its own design and manufacture, to a store that sells 15-20 high fashion “styles” manufactured by 3rd parties in extreme low-wage countries in keeping with its “brand” that are absolute, hideously overpriced, garbage. Perhaps the historic Burberry’s business was no longer sustainable – but the new business sells overpriced junk. Ahrendts and Ivy – yeah, they’ll come up with some winner I’m sure.
You just like the idea of a CEO woman for Apple.
But does she gets technology? Does she have a 10-20 year vision?
There’s no fancy clothes here.
Apple retail is full of PR.
Arguably #1 criticism of Cook is that he’s a supply chain guru and not a tech head/visionary product kind of guy.
Ahrendts is neither.
If she becomes CEO the knives will come out fast.
Cook has a bachelor of science in industrial engineering.
CEOs do not have to be and rarely are product visionaries. not Gates, not Zuckerburg, not Hastings, not Bezos.
“Do you want to come with me and change the world, or sell raincoats for the rest of your life?”
Bad examples. Whether someone is a visionary or not is subjective. What is not subjective is that all your examples either have computer science degrees, on their way to getting one and all grew up immersed in software or hardware engineering. Ahrendts admitted to not even being a techie. Jobs was an outlier – he didn’t have formal training in engineering. But even he grew up being somewhat immersed in a techie environment, and having a pseudo-techie job.
Oh, it’s not based on any concrete knowledge or “insider info”. Just a gut feeling that she’d be the most capable.
“You just like the idea of a CEO woman for Apple.”
Huh? What makes you say/think that?
“But does she gets technology? Does she have a 10-20 year vision?”
We don’t know one way or the other.
“It’s easy to forget the situation early on in AA’s tenure with Apple.” What situation was that?
“Gender aside, I’d say there are more Apple-compatible candidates to be considered.”
Her gender has nothing to do with it. As to “Apple-compatible”, I’m not sure what that even means.
I think the better question is why wouldn’t it be her? Ahrendts was recruited from her position as CEO, is paid more than anyone else including Cook, and more importantly, she connects with the ground-level employees who are the face of Apple. From the outside, she seems like the obvious candidate. I would not be surprised if Cook recruited her for that purpose.
I absolutely agree, Ahrendts is the most powerful woman executive today and is next in line as CEO. But Tim Cook said he is not picking future CEOs, his job is to cultivate an entire executive team of potential CEOs.
Ahrendt’s skills are clear from her activities at Burberry. She took a downscale chav brand and turned it into an upscale lifestyle brand. She started a branded music festival and turned Burberry stores into experiences.
https://www.gq.com/story/live-at-121-regent-street-london-coolest-new-concert-venue
My question is, what attributes makes your gut think that way?
Yes. I’d love to see that recommendation in some detail.
It’s easy to forget the situation early on in AA’s tenure with Apple.
Gender aside, I’d say there are more Apple-compatible candidates to be considered.
“Employees who are the face of Apple” is only a portion of the company, and while important, there’s, you know, the employees who actually design and build the products. This involves software and hardware engineering, product management, UX design.
Tim has long worked with those folks, even during Jobs’ day. After all, he was deep in the operations team helping build and deliver these products.
Does Angela has any role in this regard, or any track record on these fronts?
I don’t know that I want to see Apple as a retail-first company, but rather a product-first company that has first-class retail. As it stands, I feel like Tim Cook is already too close to retail and revenue-first (product price increases, increased need of accessories, essentially requiring that most buy iCloud storage, etc.)
I don’t see why Ahrendts is first in line. She’s actually a few months older than Tim Cook, she’s less prominent publicly than most of the other SVPs, and her area just isn’t as important as some of the others, (e.g. Williams, Schiller, Federeghi).
I replied to this twice and both were flagged as spam.
You say “retail,” I say “customer” as in the ground-level employees who deal with customers directly. Who is more likely to hear complaints about prices and requirements? A product person or a customer person? Who then will be more likely to take action? The person responsible for building the product or the one responsible for selling it? I understand the product side is important, but the people buying them are critical. Ahrendts’ role should not be discounted, especially as we know what happens when the wrong person (i.e., John Browett) has that job.
Build top of the line products and the customers will be there.
None of those companies have insanely great products.
I vote for Forstall.
(at least to make a return)
That’s literally taking your customers for granted.
I disagree. As their customer, I want them focused first on building great products for me to buy.
I’m not interested in being drawn in to a “Retail Experience” to have some one try to sell me a mediocre product.
Whatever. If you’re going to ignore the setup sessions, repair services, learning sessions, and general Q&A that goes on at an Apple Store and hack it down to a “retail experience,” you’re never going to get it.
That’s not what I said.