Apple's Federighi thrust into spotlight with successful WWDC keynote performance

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
During Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on Monday, the most stage time wasn't allotted CEO Tim Cook, or marketing head Phil Schiller, but to Craig Federighi, the software chief who stepped out from his "behind-the-scenes" role and into the spotlight.

Federighi
Apple's vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi.


Along with the glut of new product announcements and operating system previews unveiled at WWDC 2013, developers were impressed with Federighi's performance, which was at the same time dynamic and collected, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The publication put together an in-depth look at Federighi's new, highly visible role, which one developer said "set the tone and personality for the new Apple that appeared yesterday."

Federighi began working at Apple cofounder Steve Jobs' Next alongside fellow software engineer Scott Forstall, who went on to play a pivotal role as head of iOS before being ousted from the company in 2012. When Jobs moved back to Apple after Next was purchased in 1996, Federighi left for enterprise software firm Ariba where he ended up taking on the role of chief technology officer. He was subsequently recruited back to Apple in 2009 to head the Mac software team.

Last October, Forstall was fired from Apple after reportedly butting heads with the likes of design chief Jony Ive and others, as well as not taking responsibility for the iOS Maps flap. This put Federighi in charge of both Mac and mobile software, both primary focuses of Apple's annual WWDC event.

Whereas Forstall was the previous go-to for iOS announcements, Federighi found himself in the limelight. The position may not have been the most likely for the executive, though, as the WSJ points out, Federighi often declines social get togethers to focus on work.

The attention is not unwarranted, however, as unnamed Apple employees said Federighi played a crucial role in finishing the latest iOS 7 on time. In April, rumors had it that development of the mobile operating system was running behind schedule. It appears Federighi managed to successfully bring together both Mac and iOS software teams, which ultimately resulted in the iOS 7 beta and OS X Mavericks Developer Preview seeded to developers yesterday.

On stage at WWDC, Federighi exuded confidence. Tasked with presenting the important iOS 7 and Mac OS X Mavericks operating systems, as well as undertaking live demos, he was calm and collected. Most importantly, Federighi appeared comfortable in front of the thousands in attendance, at times even interacting with the crowd after announcing a particularly exciting new software feature.

With the buzz surrounding his keynote performance, Federighi is quickly becoming the public face for some of Apple's most important products, stepping into the shoes of seasoned public speaker Scott Forstall. For a "behind-the-scenes" player, those shoes seem to fit quite well.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 90
    gordiogordio Posts: 69member
    This guy was entertaining. Like a late night tv show host.
  • Reply 2 of 90
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    He does great work and he presents well. I'd like to see him headline keynotes in the future, since Jony refuses to. Bet he has incredible stage fright.

  • Reply 3 of 90
    mdriftmeyermdriftmeyer Posts: 7,503member
    Nothing new to me. Working with the guy at NeXT he delivered EOF presentations back in '96 to WebObjects and Openstep conference/expos.
  • Reply 4 of 90
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    And he knows how to work the room.
    Great audition Craig! When can you start?
  • Reply 5 of 90
    pendergastpendergast Posts: 1,358member
    So much better than Forstall.
  • Reply 6 of 90
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Love Craig. And since he owns iOS he deserved to be on stage demoing it.
  • Reply 7 of 90
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    I remember how nervous he was for his first appearance, but even then he did a great job.

    He seems like a pretty cool guy.
  • Reply 8 of 90
    chaickachaicka Posts: 257member
    Craig was great. He has restored some life back into keynote event. Love to see more of him in future events...
  • Reply 9 of 90
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    pendergast wrote: »
    So much better than Forstall.

    400
  • Reply 10 of 90
    elliots11elliots11 Posts: 290member
    Yes, he did do a really great job.
  • Reply 11 of 90
    matrix07matrix07 Posts: 1,993member


    I still think "not innovate anymore my ass!" is the highest point at the keynote. :)

  • Reply 12 of 90
    mhiklmhikl Posts: 471member


    I thought everyone did a good job, even Tim, who is not comfortable in a crowd. This is a big step for Apple. Maybe Steve can finally rest; the fellows comfortably understand where they are heading.

  • Reply 13 of 90
    matrix07matrix07 Posts: 1,993member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Pendergast View Post



    So much better than Forstall.


    This I disagree.


  • Reply 14 of 90
    I think the most important part of his performance was he genuinely believed what he said. He did a great job getting OSX and ios together and knew it. It was that confidence in the products which shone through.
  • Reply 15 of 90
    iqatedoiqatedo Posts: 1,822member


    Craig was outgoing, affable and conveyed confidence. Great presentation, we'll see him more often I believe.

  • Reply 16 of 90
    rayzrayz Posts: 814member
    matrix07 wrote: »
    I still think "not innovate anymore my ass!" is the highest point at the keynote. :)

    Either that, or Craig's demo where he had himself listed under 'hair products'.
  • Reply 17 of 90


    Craig was great; Phil’s quote, ”Can’t innovate anymore, my ass!” was freaking classic.


     


    Quote:


    “Last October, Forstall was fired from Apple after reportedly butting heads with the likes of design chief Jony Ive and others, as well as not taking responsibility for the iOS Maps flap.”



     


    OMG I am so tired of the trumped up map-gate shit being mentioned in EACH AND EVERY FREAKING ARTICLE. For the love of Pete, I’ve used Maps nearly every day since it was released (I drive around a lot for gigs) and it missed one destination by one mile exactly one time.


     


    Drinking game idea:


     


    1) Take a drink every time you read about Apple Maps portrayed in a negative light


     


    2) Take two drinks every time you read about Apple Maps in a story where it’s barely relevant


     


    3) Take three drinks every time you read about Apple Maps in a story in which no one can justify or even figure out why it was even brought up


     


    4) If a player can find anything positive (or even objective) written about Apple Maps, everyone else in the game must drink until they die of alcohol poisoning

  • Reply 18 of 90
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    pendergast wrote: »
    So much better than Forstall.
    Agree. Hands down.

    I like TC but I find myself speeding through his slow and laboring declarations. He is too rehearsed.
  • Reply 19 of 90
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    He does great work and he presents well. I'd like to see him headline keynotes in the future, since Jony refuses to. Bet he has incredible stage fright.

    See his 45 minute keynote from WWDC2011, he's fun to watch, easy to understand and has got a great sense of humor (dev account required, but that's at no charge):
    https://developer.apple.com/videos/wwdc/2011/includes/apple-platforms-kickoff.html#apple-platforms-kickoff

    Don't know if Jony has stage fright, he seemed pretty relaxed on stage during the 'Celebrating Steve, Nov 19, 2011'. Of course, that was in front of Apple employees. Still, large crowd.
  • Reply 20 of 90
    richard getzrichard getz Posts: 1,142member


    Many digs against Forstall were made and the whole atmosphere was light and enjoyable. I like the new personal side of Apple. 

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