Bob Mansfield no longer on Apple's exec team, will continue work on special projects [u]

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
In a very recent change to its website, Apple removed Senior Vice President of Technologies Bob Mansfield's biography from the executive profiles webpage, suggesting the executive may no longer be with the company.

Update: According to a tweet by Reuters reporter Poornima Gupta, Apple has confirmed that Mansfield is no longer part of the company's executive team. He will continue to work on special projects under CEO Tim Cook.

Bio Page
Apple's Executive Profiles webpage before (left) SVP Bob Mansfield's bio was removed (right). | Source: Apple


As first noted by MacRumors on Sunday, Mansfield's bio no longer exists on Apple's profiles press page, or elsewhere on the site. While not definitive proof that Mansfield has left Apple, the move is curious, especially in light of the executive's recent history with the company.

After announcing his retirement in June 2012, Mansfield returned to Apple to work directly under CEO Tim Cook as head of all wireless and semiconductor teams. According to reports at the time, engineers who worked under the Apple veteran when he was SVP of hardware design were unhappy with his replacement, Dan Riccio.

Apple subsequently announced in August that Mansfield would be staying with the company in an unspecified capacity directly under Cook, a role that later turned into "SVP of Technologies." It was said that Cook offered an "exorbitant" salary of $2 million per month to retain Mansfield's services.

An official announcement regarding the matter has yet to be made, though we have reached out to Apple and will update upon receiving a reply.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 57
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    According to rumors Mansfield was working on the iWatch wearable device, in some capacity, after Tim brought him back.

    Maybe this means that the device is completed or at least nearing completion, and Tim is allowing him to leave now?
  • Reply 2 of 57
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Wow very strange. Though thinking back on it I don't remember seeing him at WWDC. He wasn't sitting in the front row with the other SVPs.
  • Reply 3 of 57
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    blackbook wrote: »
    According to rumors Mansfield was working on the iWatch wearable device, in some capacity, after Tim brought him back.

    Maybe this means that the device is completed or at least nearing completion, and Tim is allowing him to leave now?
    Seems a bit odd though as they created that new position for him and Cook said he would be staying on an additional two years. :\
  • Reply 4 of 57
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    rogifan wrote: »
    Seems a bit odd though as they created that new position for him and Cook said he would be staying on an additional two years. :\

    True.

    I guess it is strange for him to leave a whole year early? Now I'm hoping its just a mistake on the website.
  • Reply 5 of 57
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    blackbook wrote: »
    True.

    I guess it is strange for him to leave a whole year early? Now I'm hoping its just a mistake on the website.
    Yeah I hope it's not because he's become ill or worse, passed away. :\. His bio is still up on the non USA Apple websites.
  • Reply 6 of 57
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member


    He is still there, just no longer working in the US.


     


    His face is on the exec page of international websites.

  • Reply 7 of 57
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    rogifan wrote: »
    Yeah I hope it's not because he's become ill or worse, passed away. :\. His bio is still up on the non USA Apple websites.

    If he were ill or passed away that'd be national news, so I'm assuming that's no the case.

    ankleskater wrote: »
    He is still there, just no longer working in the US.

    His face is on the exec page of international websites.

    That doesn't make much sense either. Even if he weren't working in the US he still works for Apple. That's not a reason to remove him from the US page IMO
  • Reply 8 of 57
    lord amhranlord amhran Posts: 902member
    This isn't good....
  • Reply 9 of 57
    macbook promacbook pro Posts: 1,605member
    I wouldn't panic. This may simply indicate that Bob Mansfield is no longer in a key leadership position. I have often seen the CTO of startup companies later accept a "Senior Research Scientist" or similar role. Such people often enjoy leading bleeding edge development unencumbered by executive leadership resposibilities.
  • Reply 10 of 57
    libertyforalllibertyforall Posts: 1,418member
    Let's hope Apple gets some higher quality app icons in iOS 7 before someone else disappears from Apple... The iOS 7 app icons are VERY amateurish looking -- very UN-Apple, IMHO. Not impressed.
  • Reply 11 of 57
    vl-tonevl-tone Posts: 337member


    Scott Forstall hacked the page :)

  • Reply 12 of 57
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ankleskater View Post


    He is still there, just no longer working in the US.


     


    His face is on the exec page of international websites.



     


    You mean his job moved overseas? I thought Apple was all about "Designed in California" (you may withhold jokes about California not being part of the United States).

  • Reply 13 of 57
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    What would be worrisome is if Apple de-friended him.
  • Reply 14 of 57
    commodificationcommodification Posts: 331member
    Bring Scott Forstall back, if he ever really truly left.
  • Reply 15 of 57
    heybartenderheybartender Posts: 17member
    Does this mean AAPL stock is going down $50 tomorrow? :-(
  • Reply 16 of 57
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member


    Apple confirmed that Mansfield is still at Apple, working under Tim Cook, but not as part of the company's executive team.


    Whew!

  • Reply 17 of 57
    sharklasersharklaser Posts: 1member
    The pict is on the international websites but the profile isn't. Try as example Hong Kong's:

    www.apple.com/hk/en/pr/bios/bob-mansfield.html

    and you will get a error page.
  • Reply 18 of 57
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Intrigue is over. Apple spokesman says he's no longer on the exec team but will still report to Cook working on special projects. I wonder if that means there's no longer a SVP of technologies role, or if they'll be filling that role with someone else? And why Bob would have stepped down from that role if he's staying on at Apple. :\
  • Reply 19 of 57
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post


     


    You mean his job moved overseas? I thought Apple was all about "Designed in California" (you may withhold jokes about California not being part of the United States).



    To keep Bob around, Cook promised him like $500M bonus. The only way to pay him is to send him where Apple stores its cash - Ireland. 

  • Reply 20 of 57
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    rogifan wrote: »
    Intrigue is over. Apple spokesman says he's no longer on the exec team but will still report to Cook working on special projects. I wonder if that means there's no longer a SVP of technologies role, or if they'll be filling that role with someone else? And why Bob would have stepped down from that role if he's staying on at Apple. :\

    He's probably putting all his energy in the super secret iWatch project. This could be good news as far as that initiative. He'll be leading that team with laser focus now.

    libertyforall wrote: »
    Let's hope Apple gets some higher quality app icons in iOS 7 before someone else disappears from Apple... The iOS 7 app icons are VERY amateurish looking -- very UN-Apple, IMHO. Not impressed.

    No this has nothing to do with iOS 7
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