Could Apple get a female CEO? The New York Times recently published a piece about Apple’s efforts to find a successor to Tim Cook. It’s mostly about the current frontrunner for the job, John Ternus, Apple’s head of hardware engineering.
Yet there’s one, brief mention of other candidates for the role: Craig Federighi, Apple’s head of software; Eddy Cue, head of services; Greg Joswiak, head of worldwide marketing; and Deirdre O’Brien, head of retail and human resources.
O’Brien was ranked No. 67 on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list last year. She’s an Apple veteran who has been at the company for more than 35 years. While retail and human resources might not seem like functions that would shoot a candidate to the top of the list to run one of the world’s most consequential tech companies, O’Brien’s responsibilities are vast. As head of retail, she has led Apple’s global expansion, including into emerging markets. On the HR side, she is responsible for training and development at Apple University.
I reached out to a handful of Apple analysts for their view on O’Brien’s chances—and the role of retail and HR in Apple’s current business priorities—and those who responded all told me they don’t know much about her. O’Brien has flown under the radar, even among those whose job it is to track where Apple is going next.
The Times reports that these other candidates are not just names being thrown around; Cook is actively preparing them for the possibility of stepping into his role. Even if it’s a longshot, it’s encouraging to see a female candidate in the mix for one of the most important CEO jobs in the world. And a reminder that nontraditional paths to the top can work—when they’re valued.
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
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PARTING WORDS
"[My husband] did all the child care and all the cooking and cleaning and all of that stuff, and I do the making the money and paying the taxes."
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