Michael Spindler | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1942-12-22)December 22, 1942 Berlin, Germany |
| Died | September 5, 2016(2016-09-05) (aged 73)[1] |
| Alma mater | Technical University in Cologne |
| Known for | CEO ofApple Computer, Inc. |
| Spouse | Maryse |
| Children | 3 |
Michael Spindler (22 December 1942 – September 5, 2016[1]) was a German businessman who was president andCEO ofApple from 1993 to 1996. Spindler was born inBerlin,Germany.
Spindler graduated from engineering atTechnical University in Cologne in 1964[2] and worked atDEC andIntel, before he moved to joinApple Computer.[3] Having joined Apple in 1980 afterMike Markkula brought him over to help out with Apple's European office; he rose through the ranks in Apple's European operations as President of Apple Europe, then President of Apple International. Michael Spindler had built a reputation as a great strategist in business tactics.[4] One of his most successful strategies that soared Apple's global sales included giving Apple's various territories more autonomy over their marketing strategies.[4] In January 1990, then CEO of Apple,John Sculley, appointed Spindler to be Apple's chief operating officer. He was nicknamed "The Diesel" due to his strong work ethic.
On October 15, 1993, Spindler was chosen as Apple's CEO when John Sculley was ousted by Apple'sboard of directors. Spindler presided over several successful projects, such as the introduction of thePowerPC, as well as some major failures, including theNewton and theCopland operating system. Spindler shied away from the spotlight preferring instead to work on operational management and strategy without fanfare. After Spindler became CEO, he did not make a public appearance for four months.[4] "I never was an operations guy", Spindler said. "That's not my strength at all".[5] One of his first moves as CEO included massive cost cutting measures such as laying off workers, ending costly projects and cutting down on R&D projects, freezing executive salaries.[4] During his tenure the Apple board authorized merger discussions withIBM,Sun Microsystems andPhilips, but when these went nowhere, he was replaced byGil Amelio on February 2, 1996.
From 1985 until his death in 2016, Spindler lived betweenParis,France, andSan Francisco,California,United States, with his wife Maryse and three kids Karen, Laurie, and John.[2][1]
Spindler died after a short illness on September 5, 2016. His long-time friend and business partnerJean-Louis Gassée stated, "Mike was an original, highly cultured mind, with high-level geopolitical views of our industry."[1]
| Preceded by | Apple CEO 1993–1996 | Succeeded by |
Authority control databases: Academics |
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