The San Francisco Business Times has named Apple and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs as its Executive of the Year for “balancing performance at Pixar, innovation at Apple.”
Lizette Wilson writes that Jobs helmed two companies that “each broke ground in its respective industry,” Apple for opening the iTunes Music Store and Pixar for releasing Finding Nemo, “its fifth straight blockbuster film.”
Wilson suggests that Jobs is a very different executive than the one who left Apple in 1985 after “being stripped of power and ultimately exiled.” Jobs has learned to delegate responsibility, Wilson posits, surrounding himself with good people who can get the job done and allowing them the latitude to do it.
Pixar board member and Revolution Studios founder Joe Roth told Wilson that Steve Jobs’ focus at Pixar is brand control — an issue that will be all too familiar to those familiar with the Macintosh. “… in family entertainment, it’s the most important thing,” commented Roth.
Wilson also credits Jobs for overseeing the creation of music download software and playback hardware — iTunes and the iPod, respectively — that satisfy consumers and the record industry. “In less than six months, the company has sold more than any other online music store has in a similar time frame,” said Wilson.
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