May 23, 2013 - 12:07 AM EDT — AAPL: 446.16 (+6.50, +1.48%) | NASDAQ: 3498.965 (+33.722, +0.97%)

Senior iOS product manager John Herbold leaves Apple; credited with key roles in iCloud, Photo Stream

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 · 1:03 pm · 36 Comments

“A senior iOS product manager at Apple, John Herbold, has left the company to become a product VP at a company called HealthTeacher,” iPodNN reports.

“According to the latter firm Herbold played a ‘key role’ in developing and launching iCloud, and led efforts in developing and marketing iCloud’s Photo Stream image sync technology,” iPodNN reports. “Prior to those efforts Herbold was a senior product manager on MobileMe, and was involved in the development of web and iOS apps as well as services.”

Thank You for supporting MacDailyNews!

 Apple 13.3" MacBook Air dual-core Intel Core i7 2.0GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB Flash Storage, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Mac OS X Lion (Z0ND-20GHZ8GB512) only $2,159.99
 Secret Sale Exclusive for MacMall Valued Customers Only
 Apple 15.4" MacBook Pro (with Retina display) quad-core Intel Core i7 2.3GHz/16GB RAM/256GB FS/IntelHD Graphics4000/OS X Lion (Z0MK-15-2.3-16-256RT) only $2,333.99
 Apple Blowouts: Up to $649 OFF on Last Gen Macs. Prices start at $1,999.99 w/ Free Upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion & Free FedEx Overnight ends 02/08 6:15PM PST.
 Apple 13.3" MacBook Pro dual-core Intel Core i7 2.9GHz, 8GB RAM, 750GB 5400-rpm hard drive, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Ships with Mountain Lion (MD102LL/A) only $1,419.97

Comment Feed

36 Comments

BurningZeppelin

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:08 pm · Reply

What’s happening up there at Cupertino? First the retail guy, now an OS guy. Some people losing faith? Not good news for shareholders I reckon. How do you guys think about this?
- Paul
  
  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:18 pm · Reply
  
  The guy who bought us MobileMe?
  
  And now the guy who bought us iCloud.
  
  Seriously folks, this is no big deal. Next time we’ll be panicking because the Janitor decides to leave.
  - iSteve
    
    Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:30 pm · Reply
    
    What? The janitor is leaving? SELL!!
    - John
      
      Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 2:55 pm · Reply
      
      Hilarious!
- KenC
  
  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:49 pm · Reply
  
  Oh, please! They have over 60,000 employees and 9000 are in Cupertino. A senior product manager is just a senior product manager. Noone’s ever heard of him. We’ve heard of Rubinstein, Johnson, Serlet, who were all on the Executive Management team, but even their leaving had or will have minimal impact.
- TheMacAdvocate
  
  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 3:04 pm · Reply
  
  Use the Apple stock metaphor and apply it to an Apple senior employee resume.
  
  The more Apple succeeds, the more people will be leaving to something more personally or professionally lucrative.
- Ansel
  
  Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - 12:04 am · Reply
  
  There are many bright new folks following … Old leaves and in comes new, happens everyday with a zillion companies, part of life ….
Mr. Peabody

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:09 pm · Reply

It sounds like you did good things for Apple – God bless you for doing so and continued success.
- John
  
  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 2:55 pm · Reply
  
  Amen.
BMWTwisty

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:11 pm · Reply

It’s makin’ me kinda curious.
Jersey_Trader

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:16 pm · Reply

This is crazy. Apple is a very large company. Employees will leave, get hired, get sick, retire, … and no longer work for Apple. They are very talented people in general. Sometimes, they will work for a new company that enhances and uses Apple’s products and services.

If they were getting pink slips like at RIMM or going to work for Microsoft, yes, that would be of interest people!

Sorry to see someone of great value leave. But, if they got to work for say JC Pennies, I don’t see an issue with it.
- KenC
  
  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:51 pm · Reply
  
  I don’t know what Apple’s turnover rate is, but most companies are in the 5 to 10% range, a year, so, with Apple’s 60,000 employees, that’s about 3000 to 6000 a year. Now, Cupertino staff would be about 450 to 900 a year.
  - ApplePius
    
    Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 4:05 pm · Reply
    
    Haha… you said Apple Turnover.
    - nciceman
      
      Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 4:47 pm · Reply
      
      Great…now I’m hungry.
      
      I wish him the best of luck.
Cubert

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:18 pm · Reply

[Insert Chicken Little "The Sky Is Falling" comment here]
R2

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:18 pm · Reply

Good. Replace him with that webOS guy they picked up from Palm. Then maybe iOS won’t look so stagnant with tacked on pieces like the multi-tasking tray and now that notification bar.
- Paul
  
  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 2:36 pm · Reply
  
  You are an idiot.
MrMcLargeHuge

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:18 pm · Reply

Not worried, but it is curious that three senior executives have left in the past month or two, starting with Serlet.
- BurningZeppelin
  
  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:28 pm · Reply
  
  You are correct, all three guys. The Mac guy (from nextstep era) Serlet, retail guy and iOS guy. There’s no denying those Executives are of top list on any headhunters list. But those are three of the most important area in Apple business now. Really, I cannot assume that it’s just some random employee turnover. Nope.
  - CourstJester
    
    Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 3:07 pm · Reply
    
    Do you feel a conspiracy theory coming on?
  - Ned
    
    Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 3:21 pm · Reply
    
    You have to look at why they are leaving. Serlet wanted to go back into academics (understandable that the stress of creating the best OS ever for nearly 2 decades (including NeXT) would wear on one. The Retail Guy left to become a CEO and the iOS guy left to become a VP. These aren’t lateral moves but moves up the ladder. There are only so many senior positions at any company. People who aspire to those roles either have to wait or sometimes move.
auramac

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:21 pm · Reply

Rather than shrug, you can’t help but ask, “Why?”
- GM
  
  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 7:38 pm · Reply
  
  Because if you ever knew anyone that worked there they will tell you that it’s not a fun place. It’s not Google or even Microsoft. And the pay is better,generally, elsewhere. You work there until you don’t have to. Then you move on and enjoy life. Surely this is no revelation to informed AAPL followers?
cococanuck

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:25 pm · Reply

This happens all the time in many big companies.

People are on their way up. They need to take the move that works for them.

It wouldn’t even be noticed if this were a less scrutinized company but with APPL there’s someone counting every sneeze and hiccup over there.

And we’ve never even heard of this guy before. Get a life!
X

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:33 pm · Reply

my mother left last week. Who gives a fat rats ass
- Tflint
  
  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 3:42 pm · Reply
  
  with a foul mouth like yours, no wonder she left!
RDF

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 1:35 pm · Reply

Maybe he accomplished all he intended to at Apple. People leave good organizations for many reasons- it’s not always because it’s intolerable.
Besides, who knows what kind of deal he got.
Davewrite

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 2:05 pm · Reply

just casually Googling, these are some of the people Apple has HIRED in the last while:

June: Peter Hajas for Push Noification

May: Kristic, security expert

(earlier)
Benjamin Vigier: wireless payment guru

Elliot Peters: Warner Music Legal expert

Kevin Kenny: Carbon composite expert

David Rice: NSA security analyst

Richard DeVaul: Wearable Technologies expert

Rich Dellinger: Palm OS designer

etc. (probably plenty more that didn’t make the press)

(I have no clue if they are still at Apple but it goes to illustrate companies change staff. Unfortunately every person leaving apple – according to some apple hating blogs elsewhere – is supposed to be Doom for Apple)
- Derek Currie
  
  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 8:34 pm · Reply
  
  THANK YOU Dave! This is exactly the list I wanted to read. Who is arriving is as important as who is leaving.
jeffmac7101

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 2:21 pm · Reply

Apple……turnover.
Just sayin
- auren
  
  Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 3:31 pm · Reply
  
  Cute
ed malloy

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 2:29 pm · Reply

Sounds like he was made to stay on, and released when the problem is fixed …. Can his new job pay as well as Apple.

If three apples fall from the tree, can we assume a wind-storm? I think not.
Ross

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 3:16 pm · Reply

Let’s not forget what the most intelligent person who ever lived said…” WHERE THERE IS NO MOVEMENT, NOTHING HAPPENS !!! ”

EINSTEIN
The Lone Ranger

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 3:20 pm · Reply

It’s all part of Steve’s master succession plan: gradually replace all senior employees with sentient robot equivalents so that Apple’s leadership remains strong forever. Never again will investors worry about Steve’s health!
Derek Currie

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 8:32 pm · Reply

I’m not worried about people leaving Apple. Every company is required to ‘breathe’ on a regular basis. Out with the old air, in with the new air. Hopefully some deadwood goes out with the old air.

What I want to know is who is coming IN to Apple to take on new roles. How about reporting THAT news as well? Considering that Apple is THE innovative company amidst todays self-destructive biznizz culture, I suspect Apple has their pick of quality people asking for an entrance key.
Mad Max

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - 8:59 am · Reply

You should do better research. He was not very senior, and he was not an iOS guy. He worked in MobileMe all the time.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jherbold