Arthur D. Levinson joined Apple's board of directors in 2000, thanks to a close friendship with Steve Jobs, and in 2011 he became the president of the same board after the death of the former CEO of Apple. IN A intervened of those from Fortune Magazine, Levinson was asked how life is at Apple after the death of Steve Jobs, and his simple answer was "strange". Although more than a year has passed since the event, Jobs' absence is still felt within the Apple company, although it functions just as well without him, although Steve Jobs was largely misunderstood by the press and not only.
I'm still not to the point where I walk into that board room and don't miss Steve. He was a one of a kind guy... The Steve Jobs that was in the public eye was not, for the most part, the Steve Jobs that I knew.
Regarding the role of the board of directors in the development process of future products, Levinson says that board members see those products 6-18 months before they are launched, but do not control the development process. Although some members can easily influence the direction in which a product is developed, if it is presented with enough time before launch, overseeing the product development process is not one of the board's priorities. In conclusion, Apple is doing well without Steve Jobs, but his absence will be felt many years from now.
If presented early enough, some board insights are taken into account, and those on the board with expertise in certain product areas may have more influence, he added. "The board is not there to define product specs," says Levinson. "It's there as a sounding board. It's there as a resource. And ultimately, the board is there to hire and fire the CEO."
