Does it feel like someone is missing from Apple’s management hierarchy as of late? If you thought so, you were correct. Sunday afternoon, the senior vice president of technologies at Apple was quietly removed from the company’s corporate website with no word as to why.
The only clue we have as of now is from Apple spokesman Steve Dowling, who told AllThingsD that "Bob is no longer going to be on Apple’s executive team, but will remain at Apple working on special projects." The company declined any future explanation as to the reasoning of the move.
This change comes as a bit of a surprise as Mansfield announced last year that he would remain on at the company after previously announcing his decision to retire in June 2012. It was previously reported that he would stay at the company until 2014, influenced by the of the departure of former iOS Chief Scott Forstall. Tim Cook reportedly offered Mansfield a pay package worth over $2 million a month to stay with the company at the time.
Mansfield joined Apple in 1999 when the company acquired Raycer Graphics, where Mansfield was the vice president of engineering. At Apple he was responsible for overseeing development of devices such as the iMac, MacBook, MacBookAir and more recently the iPhone and iPad designs. There has been no word on what “special” projects he will be overseeing in the near future.
Source: MacRumors