's biggest personnel change since Tim Cook took over for the company's founder, Steve Jobs, two senior executives, Scott Forstall and John Browett, are leaving the company. According to sources within the company, both are being asked to leave after several missteps that risked Apple's flawless reputation. Additionally, inside sources reported tension and miscommunication between Apple executives after Jobs' death, saying there was no longer an all-powerful "decider" to turn to (Lessin).
Forstall, the senior vice president of the company's mobile operating system, iOS and a member of Apple's team for the past 15 years, is being ousted both for his polarizing reputation and shaky decisions. Forstall had many enemies within the Apple team, including Jonathan Ive, the head design chief, and Bob Mansfield, the head of technology, who refused to even sit in a meeting with Forstall unless Cook was present as well (Grobart).
According to a person familiar with the matter, Forstall "never fit into the culture of Apple" (Lessin).
In addition to not being well liked, Forstall was not able to keep up with the high expectations for Apple products as the newest products and services relied more heavily on the mobile operating system. Forstall oversaw the recent release of the Maps app, which failed greatly and caused Cook to release an apology to customers. He received particular blame because he was well aware of the errors and problems, but rushed to release the Maps app anyways. Previously, Forstall also took the blame for the failed attempts at Mobile Me and .Mac, as well as the complaints against iCloud's usability. He was also a heavy proponent for purchasing the Siri software, the voice-activated assistant who has been a letdown to customers since its release (Grobart). .
Forstall's leaving the company came as a surprise to many, who thought he might be next in line behind Cook. Although there are many bumps along his career path, he also designed the system that ran Apple's iPhone and iPad.