Jim Goldman Calls on Eric Schmidt to Leave Apple’s Board

Jim Goldman:

But Apple shareholders deserve engaged board members singularly focused on the company’s business at hand. Schmidt himself now admits he recuses himself from iPhone discussions. Soon, he’ll have to do the same with Mac discussions when Android gets loaded into netbooks. The same might happen with Levinson. Brilliant guys both, but Apple investors deserve — and should expect — board members to serve their board full time, not part time.

None of Apple’s board members, other than Steve Jobs, work full-time for Apple. Goldman knows that. Board members don’t work on products or even product ideas. Goldman knows that, too.

So I just don’t get it. Seems to me that this board has represented shareholder interests well, and that Apple’s alliances with Google are in its interest.

★ Saturday, 9 May 2009