Voices

Some Apple Directors Ponder CEO Succession

Since Steve Jobs went on medical leave this winter, some members of Apple Inc.’s board have discussed CEO succession with executive recruiters and at least one head of a high-profile technology company, according to people familiar with the matter.

Who's Number Two At Oracle?

Safra Catz’s re-appointment as Oracle’s finance chief kicks off a new round of corporate Kremlinology over who will ultimately take over for Larry Ellison as CEO.

News Byte

Apple Shareholders Reject Proposal to Disclose Succession Plan

At Apple’s annual meeting today, shareholders defeated a proposal, opposed by the board, that would have required the company to report openly on the executive succession planning it now keeps to itself. The proposal, brought by the Laborers’ International Union, took on additional import with the indefinite medical leave of CEO Steve Jobs.

Only 35 Percent of Companies Have a Succession Plan and Apple Is One of Them

Apple may not want to disclose its CEO succession plan, but at least it has one. Which is more than you can say for quite a few other companies.

Steve Jobs’s Absence Won’t Derail Apple, but His Presence Still Key Factor in the Company’s Success

With Steve Jobs taking another medical leave from Apple, expect all manner of predictions on what this means for the company’s products. While his leave is unlikely to derail the next iPad or iPhone, it’s a mistake to underestimate the role that Jobs plays at Apple.

Apple Opposes Proposal on CEO Succession Planning

A few noteworthy nuggets from Apple’s 2011 Proxy Statement, filed today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The most interesting, a strongly worded rebuttal to a shareholder proposal calling on the company to adopt a written CEO-succession-planning policy.

Jerry Yang's Entire Memo to His Employees on Stepping Down as CEO

BoomTown has obtained the entire memo from Jerry Yang to his employees at Yahoo about his plans to step down as Yahoo CEO. Yang, a truly nice man–which has been a plus and a minus for him–and an Internet visionary for sure, penned a classy note to the Yahoo troops. And BoomTown, feeling sentimental, will not even make fun of the lack of capitalization this time. Here’s the memo…