Apple Inc. (AAPL) Could Begin “Bleeding Talent”

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) could have a problem keeping its talent around, according to one talk show host. As it was announced in October, two of the company’s top executives are leaving this year.

Scott Forstall, who headed up the company’s iPhone software, and John Browett, who just joined recently as the head of the company’s retail sector, have both announced intentions to leave.

Forstall has been a major part of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) since he joined the company in 1997; it has been noted that his departure excited the engineering department at the tech giant. Also Forstall had a lot to do with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s mapping disaster. It’s not known why Browett left, although many of the changes he made during his tenure were unpopular with Apple users.

Today CNET reports discussion between Daring Fireball’s John Gruber and Guy English, the developer of the iPhone and Mac computers. Gruber expressed concerns that engineers might not be happy staying at Apple.

And then there are the issues that have spooked investors, sending shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to the lowest levels they have been at in many months—a far cry from September’s high of $705 per share. While there has been a lot of talk about innovation at the company and things that it “could do” or “should do,” the products that are the subject of those rumors aren’t due out for almost a year or even more in some cases.

For example, we continue to hear about a smart TV that Apple is supposedly developing, but of course we don’t expect it until at least the end of the year. But at least we have seen the first signs that the product is in development. Also we have seen a number of patents filed by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) for a smart watch, which once again we could see this year, but not until later.

And then there’s the low-cost iPhone, which some say would be a savior for the company’s slumping sales. Again, that won’t be out until late this year at least, if it is, in fact, in development.

So are these products enough to keep Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s top talent around? It will all depend on CEO Tim Cook’s ability to keep them happy and foster ingenuity and creativity.

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