Monday, January 05, 2009

Apple Lacks Bench Strength

Apple (AAPL) investors are unsettled with Steve Jobs admission of medical issues. We probably do not know the full extent of the issues. Confidentiality plays a vexatious role. Also when dealing with medical issues not everything is a certainty. Just talk to any doctor and ask for a 100% guarantee for anything. You will not get it.

The real issue with Apple and Steve Jobs is his iconic status. While the C suite executives are important you should not be tied so dramatically to the health of one individual. When you create value the implicit assumption is that it will be enduring. Apples board of directors and major investors should start insisting on meaningful succession plans for all key positions.