April 8, 1983: John Sculley, former president of PepsiCo, takes cost as Apple’s third CEO.
Regardless of a complete lack of expertise promoting tech merchandise, Sculley is lured to Apple by Steve Jobs himself. The Apple co-founder famously pitched the Pepsi exec with the road, “Do you need to spend the remainder of your life promoting sugared water or would you like an opportunity to alter the world?”
John Sculley turns into Apple’s third CEO
Sculley had simply turned 44 years outdated when he took over as Apple CEO from Mike Markkula, who had been working the corporate since 1981.
To steer Sculley to depart his $500,000-a-year job at Pepsi, Apple agreed to pay him $1 million per yr, half as wage and half as a bonus. Sculley moreover acquired a $1 million signing bonus, a $1 million golden parachute clause in his contract, 350,000 AAPL shares, and cash to purchase a home in California equal to his Connecticut residence.
John Sculley and Steve Jobs hatch a plan for Apple
The plan was that Sculley and Jobs, who was then Apple’s chairman, would run the corporate as near-equals. Jobs would work on the software program finish. And Sculley would use his advertising and marketing experience to develop Apple even bigger.
Apple’s board of administrators hoped Sculley would assist Apple compete towards IBM, which launched its IBM Personal Computer two years earlier than his hiring.
John Sculley at Pepsi
Whereas at Pepsi, Sculley took the struggle to competing soda firm Coca-Cola with progressive advertising and marketing methods just like the Pepsi Challenge. He would attempt one thing related with 1084’s “Test Drive a Macintosh” marketing campaign at Apple. Sculley additionally labored to rework Pepsi into a way of life model with the Pepsi Generation ad campaign.
Sculley officially started work at Apple in May 1983, a month after Cupertino named him CEO.
Steve Jobs loses out in Apple energy battle
Finally, Sculley and Jobs bumped into issues working collectively. After an inner battle, Sculley satisfied Apple’s board of administrators to strip Jobs of his working energy throughout the firm.
In consequence, Jobs left Apple in 1985. He went on to found NeXT and acquire a majority interest in Pixar. Tech historical past would have been very totally different had Apple’s board opted to make Jobs CEO in 1983.
Have been you an Apple fan in 1983? What do you keep in mind about John Sculley’s reign as Apple’s chief government? Tell us your ideas within the feedback under.
