Steve Jobs is coming back to the fold
An Apple spokesperson has confirmed that Steve Jobs will be coming back to work at the Cupertino tech giant at the end of June, though the exact nature of his job title is still up in the air.
Jobs has been on sick leave from Apple for six months, due to a hormone imbalance that caused him to dramatically lose body weight. Although it has been assumed that Jobs was still involved in Apple strategy and decisions behind the scenes, his absence has been the pivot around which an incredible number of discussions have taken place at all levels of the tech industry.
The primary focus of these questions was whether not not Jobs would be back, and whether or not that was critical. Opinions were all over the board on these questions, ranging from, “Apple has plenty of talent to success if Jobs never comes back,” to, “If Jobs is unable to return, Apple is doomed to return to mediocrity.” Almost certainly, the right answer is somewhere between those two extremes.
Still, very few voiced the opinion that Jobs was a hindrance to the success of the company, so having him back is almost certainly a positive thing. One of the questions that remains is whether he will be returning as CEO or as Chairman of the Apple Board, according to an article on TimesOnLine. The latter may be less stressful, and still allow complete involvement in the creative and marketing areas of the enterprise at which Jobs is reputed to be a past master.
Wherever Jobs places himself upon his return, he will be welcome. Still, the last six months have proven that the day-to-day involvement of Steve Jobs may not be critical to the success of Apple. It is even likely that the ongoing success of Apple does not rest on his shoulders. Still, Jobs is a positive influence on the direction of the company, and we should be happy to have him back.
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June 15th, 2009
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