In less than three weeks, both Apple (NASDAQ:
AAPL
) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:
MSFT
) said goodbye to prominent executives. Scott Forstall, the
former senior VP of iOS, has left his post and will officially
leave Apple in 2013. Steven Sinofsky, the former president of
Windows and Windows Live, left Microsoft this week. Both men are
expected to go far in the industry, but it is not yet clear where
they will end up. Forstall is expected to be hired by another
tech giant, such as Facebook (NASDAQ:
FB
) or Amazon (NASDAQ:
AMZN
), while Sinofsky may start his own business.
Whatever the case, all eyes will be on these two tech leaders
as we head into the new year.
Forstall's Journey
Forstall doesn't need a
functional mapping application
to steer him in the right direction. As the former head of
Apple's mobile division, his career roadmap is fairly strong.
Facebook and Amazon could provide some interesting
opportunities, especially if the latter firm wishes to develop
its own operating system and leave Android behind. To that end,
Google (NASDAQ:
GOOG
) is another firm that is bound to receive Forstall's resume.
Financial firms like Goldman Sachs (NYSE:
GS
) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:
JPM
) might be interested in Forstall's impeccable trading skills.
Forstall anticipated Apple's devastating crash and sold most of
his shares
six months ago
. Few on Wall Street can say that.
Forstall's
unapologetic attitude
might be attractive to the law firm
representing Apple in England
. He reportedly likes to
take credit
for
other people's work
. This quality might appeal to
corporations that do the same thing
.
In the old days, Yahoo (NASDAQ:
YHOO
) would have hired Forstall as quickly as possible. The new,
Marissa Mayer-powered Yahoo might not be as interested.
Forstall will bring a big name and a lot of media attention to
any company he joins. As a result, startups and struggling
enterprises are bound to be the first in line to hire him.
Sinofsky's Path
Sinofsky spent the last 23 years of his life working for
Microsoft. Now that he has left the firm, it is hard to imagine
that he will join another tech company without first considering
other options.
In his
internal memo to Microsoft employees
, Sinofsky said that his "passion for building products is as
strong as ever and I look forward focusing my energy and
creativity along similar lines."
Business Insider
thinks this is code for, "I wasn't fired -- I quit. And I'm ready
to compete with Microsoft."
Based on the internal memo and the
public comments
made by both Sinofsky and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, it is
clear that he was not fired. But he is unlikely to build a firm
with the intent of competing with Windows.
Rather, Sinofsky will probably build his own software company
that
compliments
the work of Microsoft and other tech giants. If that initiative
proves to be innovative, his former employer might be tempted to
acquire the firm. But then Sinofsky would be back where he
started.
If Sinofsky intends to look elsewhere for employment, he may
very well explore opportunities at Google and Apple. However, the
latter firm is unlikely to hire him. By taking on a former
Microsoft employee that was responsible for leading Windows,
Apple would publicly promote and justify everything that its
competitor has done for the past 20 years. It would be Apple's
subtle way of admitting that Windows is a worthy competitor to
Mac OS -- not just in sales but in quality and execution. That is
not a message Apple wants to send to investors.
Sinofsky might be better suited for Google, where he could
help refine Android. He could work wonders at Netflix (NASDAQ:
NFLX
), but only as a replacement for its current CEO, Reed Hastings.
(If Hastings was allowed to stay, Sinofsky would not be able to
bring the necessary changes that are needed to ensure the company
survives.)
Facebook and Amazon could also benefit from Sinofsky's
talent.
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@LouisBedigianBZ
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