Thread: Car Talk
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2010-01-01, 16:26

According to BusinessInsider, Apple's own Tim COOk (see what I did there?) is executive search firm Spencer Stewart's "top candidate" for the position of CEO of GM.



Of course, this is based off an anonymous tip. And being Spencer Stewart's first choice doesn't mean that Cook will be willing to leave Apple. Still, I thought it was worth noting. Cook filled in as CEO when Jobs was away; maybe he found that he likes the idea of being a CEO? He's pretty obviously next in line to the Apple throne, but I think/hope Jobs will be perched there for some time yet.

To be honest, I think damn near anybody from Apple would be good for GM. GM needs to do exactly what late-nineties Apple needed to do: Drastically streamline the product matrix, build a brand that people are in love with, and then supplant an uneven dealer network with controlled, consistent, customer-pleasing COR stores.

It's unlikely that GM will take steps that drastic on their own, at least not until they absolute have to (and by then, it will be too late). GM needs their Jobs, or at least somebody just like him. Right now they have a bunch of old-guard execs, a CFO from Microsoft, and a handful of Ed Whitacre's AT&T buddies.

I doubt Cook will leave Apple, but I hope someone with a similar level of insight -- maybe somebody with an actual vision, perhaps? -- finds a seat as GM's CEO.

EDIT: Damn you Quag at least my post is more informative...

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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