Apple SVP of Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield to retire
Apple announced on Thursday that Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield will be retiring after a 13-year stint with the company and will be replaced by Vice President of iPad Hardware Engineering Dan Riccio in a transition that is expected to take "several months."
Mansfield, who joined Apple in 1999 when the company took over Raycer Graphics, has become a highly-recognized figure after being featured in many Mac and iDevice keynote videos and will be leaving his post after leading Mac hardware engineering since 2005, iPhone and iPod hardware engineering since 2010, and iPad hardware engineering since the tablet's debut.
?Bob has been an instrumental part of our executive team, leading the hardware engineering organization and overseeing the team that has delivered dozens of breakthrough products over the years,? said Apple CEO Tim Cook. ?We are very sad to have him leave and hope he enjoys every day of his retirement.?
Along with the popular MacBook Air line of thin-and-light laptops, Mansfield oversaw the development of Apple's all-in-one iMac desktop.
Retiring Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield. | Source: Apple
Replacing Mansfield is Dan Riccio who actually joined Apple before the departing executive when he took the role of vice president of Product Design in 1998.
?Dan has been one of Bob?s key lieutenants for a very long time and is very well respected within Apple and by the industry,? Cook said. ?Our hardware engineering team is the best engineering team on earth and will not miss a beat during the transition.?
Mansfield, who joined Apple in 1999 when the company took over Raycer Graphics, has become a highly-recognized figure after being featured in many Mac and iDevice keynote videos and will be leaving his post after leading Mac hardware engineering since 2005, iPhone and iPod hardware engineering since 2010, and iPad hardware engineering since the tablet's debut.
?Bob has been an instrumental part of our executive team, leading the hardware engineering organization and overseeing the team that has delivered dozens of breakthrough products over the years,? said Apple CEO Tim Cook. ?We are very sad to have him leave and hope he enjoys every day of his retirement.?
Along with the popular MacBook Air line of thin-and-light laptops, Mansfield oversaw the development of Apple's all-in-one iMac desktop.
Retiring Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering Bob Mansfield. | Source: Apple
Replacing Mansfield is Dan Riccio who actually joined Apple before the departing executive when he took the role of vice president of Product Design in 1998.
?Dan has been one of Bob?s key lieutenants for a very long time and is very well respected within Apple and by the industry,? Cook said. ?Our hardware engineering team is the best engineering team on earth and will not miss a beat during the transition.?
Comments
Wow. Another veteran leaving... Good luck, Mr. Mansfield. Cash out and buy an island somewhere beyond the long arm of the IRS.
I also wonder why he would retire at such a young age, and when Apple is becoming a vast company.
He's known Cook since he first got there. I doubt it was because of him. Maybe he's got enough money and wants to enjoy it while he's still young. I hope it's not because of medical issues. He is pretty heavy.
People come and go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melgross
I've been wondering why he's been selling most all his stock during the past year. Now I know.
I also wonder why he would retire at such a young age, and when Apple is becoming a vast company.
He has more money than he knows what to do with, and he's still (relatively) young, heck I would do the exact same thing. Good luck and godspeed Bob. Thank you for your great contribution to Apple. You'll be missed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich
Wow. Another veteran leaving... Good luck, Mr. Mansfield. Cash out and buy an island somewhere beyond the long arm of the IRS.
Nobody likes paying taxes but people who express this viewpoint seem to forget that the money the state/federal taxes raise go towards paying for your kids school, the roads you drive your car on, the police officers we rely on to keep us safe, the border control officers who stop terrorists, the people who sweep our streets and take away the trash, or simply the medicaid and social security that many low income and retired people rely on to stay alive.
Apple is Doomed™
So Bob's leaving and the guy doing iPad hardware is replacing him (smart idea), who is one of his key people *anyway*, and who has been with Apple since *before* Bob started. So he's seen it all.
So where's the problem?
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Of all things that people have claimed over the years as proof that Apple will falter I think this is the closest thing we've seen to it.
What a ridiculous thing to say! How is this proof that Apple is faltering? The guy wants to retire. Could be any number of personal reasons. Did Apple falter when Serlet left? Federighi took over just fine. Or, how about Ron Johnson? Apple has a deep bench of capable engineers and managers.
It's irritating when people post without thinking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaun, UK
Nobody likes paying taxes but people who express this viewpoint seem to forget that the money the state/federal taxes raise go towards paying for your kids school, the roads you drive your car on, the police officers we rely on to keep us safe, the border control officers who stop terrorists, the people who sweep our streets and take away the trash, or simply the medicaid and social security that many low income and retired people rely on to stay alive.
Very true, indeed. But, in this case and in the case of so many others, Mr. Mansfield has paid his dues in terms of income taxes and taxes on his stock options. I completely agree that he should be able to enjoy HIS earnings without the IRS continually asking more more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Of all things that people have claimed over the years as proof that Apple will falter I think this is the closest thing we've seen to it.
Attrition?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaun, UK
Nobody likes paying taxes but people who express this viewpoint seem to forget that the money the state/federal taxes raise go towards paying for your kids school, the roads you drive your car on, the police officers we rely on to keep us safe, the border control officers who stop terrorists, the people who sweep our streets and take away the trash, or simply the medicaid and social security that many low income and retired people rely on to stay alive.
Hahahahahaha! You've really outdone yourself!
Quote:
Originally Posted by asdasd
That's a loss. Hope the exodus is not due to the new CEO.
It's usually down to a higher power (the wife)
Job well done sir. May you have a long and happy retirement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleGreen
What a ridiculous thing to say! How is this proof that Apple is faltering? The guy wants to retire. Could be any number of personal reasons. Did Apple falter when Serlet left? Federighi took over just fine. Or, how about Ron Johnson? Apple has a deep bench of capable engineers and managers.
It's irritating when people post without thinking.
Nothing irritating about his comment at all. I feel there is a lot of thought behind Soli's comment. There have been more Apple big-wigs leaving over the last 4 years than any other time I can remember, with many of them being part of the team Steve put together soon after he rejoined Apple.
Furthermore, it takes more than 'capable' engineers to guide and drive the most innovative and successful tech company in the world.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dickprinter
Nothing irritating about his comment at all. I feel there is a lot of thought behind Soli's comment. There have been more Apple big-wigs leaving over the last 4 years than any other time I can remember, with many of them being part of the team Steve put together soon after he rejoined Apple.
Furthermore, it takes more than 'capable' engineers to guide and drive the most innovative and successful tech company in the world.
The best time to get out is always at the top. Apple's the biggest company in the world and it will get bigger, but more slowly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich
Wow. Another veteran leaving... Good luck, Mr. Mansfield. Cash out and buy an island somewhere beyond the long arm of the IRS.
And another veteran [this time a fellow Mechanical Engineer] taking his place.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich
Wow. Another veteran leaving... Good luck, Mr. Mansfield. Cash out and buy an island somewhere beyond the long arm of the IRS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaun, UK
Nobody likes paying taxes but people who express this viewpoint seem to forget that the money the state/federal taxes raise go towards paying for your kids school, the roads you drive your car on, the police officers we rely on to keep us safe, the border control officers who stop terrorists, the people who sweep our streets and take away the trash, or simply the medicaid and social security that many low income and retired people rely on to stay alive.
Ummm, here in the States, most schools and police are funded through property taxes on a town or county level, along with the street sweepers. Trash haulers are usually private. Don't get me started on the Medicaid, Social Security and low income debate because I believe hardly any capital gains tax is used for those programs.
Sorry for being off topic but fundamentally I have a problem with this viewpoint. Bob Mansfield's success should not be utilized for the funding of these programs....for the benefit of others.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dickprinter
Nothing irritating about his comment at all. I feel there is a lot of thought behind Soli's comment. There have been more Apple big-wigs leaving over the last 4 years than any other time I can remember, with many of them being part of the team Steve put together soon after he rejoined Apple.
Furthermore, it takes more than 'capable' engineers to guide and drive the most innovative and successful tech company in the world.
........a lot of thought? Puh..leese..!!
During the last 4 years that "more" Apple big-wigs have left, do you know how many have been hired that are capable enough to become big-wigs? Serlet left. Federighi is now a big-wig. Ron Johnson left. Browett is a big-wig. A certain amount of turnover in manpower is normal. No need to ring the alarm bells !!
And, during the last 4 years that all your big-wigs have left, the stock has quadrupled. Certainly, the rate of appreciation will slow. But, it ain't the end of the world. THINK !!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich
The best time to get out is always at the top. Apple's the biggest company in the world and it will get bigger, but more slowly.
So are you implying that Apple has reached their apex and growth has started to plateau?