Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent an email to NBC News calling a recent WSJ report on the departure of Jony Ive 'absurd'.
On Sunday night, WSJ reporter Tripp Mickle wrote that Ive "had been growing more distant from Apple’s leadership" in part because he was frustrated with Cook's "more operations-focused company".
"People in the design studio rarely saw Mr. Cook, who they say showed little interest in the product development process — a fact that dispirited Mr. Ive", wrote Mickle. "Mr. Ive grew frustrated as Apple’s board became increasingly populated by directors with backgrounds in finance and operations rather than technology or other areas of the company’s core business."
Additionally, the report said that designers Alan Dye and Richard Howarth have not commanded the same respect as Jony Ive.
Members of the human interface and industrial design teams viewed approval from their new leaders as merely tentative. “They still wanted Jony’s thumbs-up to go forward,” this person said.
In an email to NBC reporter Dylan Byers, Cook strongly discredited the report.
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Hi Dylan,
Hope you are well.
The story is absurd. A lot of the reporting, and certainly the conclusions just don't match with reality. At a base level, it shows a lack of understanding about how the design team works and how Apple works. It distorts relationships, decisions and events to the point that we just don't recognize the company it claims to describe.
The design team is phenomenally talented. As Jony has said, they're stronger than ever, and I have complete confidence that they will thrive under Jeff, Evans and Alan's leadership. We know the truth and we know the incredible things they're capable of doing. The projects they're working on will blow you away.
Best,
Tim
Sent from my iPhone
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Colleen Schwartz, senior vice president of communications for The Wall Street Journal, says that the newspaper stands by its reporting.
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On Sunday night, WSJ reporter Tripp Mickle wrote that Ive "had been growing more distant from Apple’s leadership" in part because he was frustrated with Cook's "more operations-focused company".
"People in the design studio rarely saw Mr. Cook, who they say showed little interest in the product development process — a fact that dispirited Mr. Ive", wrote Mickle. "Mr. Ive grew frustrated as Apple’s board became increasingly populated by directors with backgrounds in finance and operations rather than technology or other areas of the company’s core business."
Additionally, the report said that designers Alan Dye and Richard Howarth have not commanded the same respect as Jony Ive.
Members of the human interface and industrial design teams viewed approval from their new leaders as merely tentative. “They still wanted Jony’s thumbs-up to go forward,” this person said.
In an email to NBC reporter Dylan Byers, Cook strongly discredited the report.
----
Hi Dylan,
Hope you are well.
The story is absurd. A lot of the reporting, and certainly the conclusions just don't match with reality. At a base level, it shows a lack of understanding about how the design team works and how Apple works. It distorts relationships, decisions and events to the point that we just don't recognize the company it claims to describe.
The design team is phenomenally talented. As Jony has said, they're stronger than ever, and I have complete confidence that they will thrive under Jeff, Evans and Alan's leadership. We know the truth and we know the incredible things they're capable of doing. The projects they're working on will blow you away.
Best,
Tim
Sent from my iPhone
-----
Colleen Schwartz, senior vice president of communications for The Wall Street Journal, says that the newspaper stands by its reporting.
Please follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, or RSS for updates.
Read More