Where’s Steve Jobs?
Apple’s CEO rarely appears on the quarterly earnings call, leaving those duties to Oppenheimer and chief operating officer Tim Cook. Jobs last dropped in on an analyst call in October, largely to outline the company’s strategy for weathering the recession. That the generally optimistic plan Jobs laid out last fall panned out has been overshadowed by what happened after that appearance—the CEO went on a six-month leave of absence during which he time he underwent a successful liver transplant. With Jobs now back at work, Tuesday’s earnings call might seem like an ideal venue for the CEO to mark his return. But don’t count on it—Apple has maintained a “business-as-usual” stance about Jobs throughout his medical leave, and an appearance at a quarterly call he normally skips would seem one of those out-of-the-ordinary happenings the company has tried to avoid. Still, expect more than one analyst to inquire about Jobs’ health. And expect the Apple executives who do appear on the call to def
