Parker Ortolani

Over the past few years, rumors have run rampant that John Ternus is poised to claim the CEO position upon Tim Cook’s retirement. While they’re heating up, that’s not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about another candidate, not someone who can just perfect a product but someone who can draw the blueprints for a completely new one, someone who can undoubtedly push Apple to put a dent in the universe again.

In October I wrote a piece titled “10 Qualities the 8th CEO of Apple Should Have.” I didn’t mention any names then, but I was really thinking about a specific person. That person was Tony Fadell and today we learned from The Information that he is actually interested in the job. However unlikely you may think this move would be, it’s certainly worth exploring further.

Steve Jobs had lots of acolytes in his orbit over the years, but Tony has always stood out. Like Steve, he’s multi-disciplined, intensely interested in things beyond technology, has never been shy about sharing his own wisdom, cares deeply about cultivating talent and building amazing teams, and has always been willing to take risks. I could lay it all out, but that’s been done before. If you want the whole picture, go watch the General Magic documentary, read his book Build, and watch some of his interviews both about technology and about his personal interests like watches. Chances are, you’ll be consuming all three on the device he pioneered. I think you’ll quickly understand why I believe he’s the right person for the job.

He’s not someone who has planted himself within a singular culture for decades. He’s charted his own path, constantly shaking things up. Always laser focused, he’s been breaking new ground ever since he got out of college. From envisioning the future and learning about failure at General Magic to inventing the iPod & iPhone at Apple during the golden years to creating Nest and selling it to Google, to his fund the Build Collective, he’s consistently shown his unique ability to not just brute force an abstract vision into reality but do so with genuine care and love.

Some might say that someone who has left Apple wouldn’t be welcomed back into the fold. But unlike some of his colleagues who departed the company for competitors, I think Tony would fit right back in as much as he’d shake it up. The company needs someone disruptive enough to break the mold again, but thoughtful and experienced enough to be a steward for such a special culture. Tim Cook has done an amazing job growing Apple to almost unfathomable heights, but the company needs to move beyond its operationally-focused era and into one of product-centric rebirth. Someone like Fadell would accomplish that. And who knows, maybe coupled with a new incredibly seasoned head of design, we could see another golden era of groundbreaking new products.