Steve Jobs misses shareholder meeting on Apple successor plans

Steve Jobs
Apple will not have to disclose plans to replace Steve Jobs

Apple will not reveal its plans for future leadership of the company despite pleas from shareholders to give them a greater insight in to the process.

With CEO Steve Jobs indefinitely sidelined by illness once again, Apple has come under pressure to disclose any plans to replace him as the head of the Cupertino-based company.

However, shareholders voted down the proposal, which would have required Apple to produce an annual report explaining its future leadership plans.

As expected, Jobs himself did not attend the annual shareholders' meeting, with COO Tim Cook once-again taking centre stage.

Minor victory

While the vote, instigated by the Laborers' International Union was defeated, shareholders did take one victory away with them.

Thanks to a ballot brought by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, unopposed candidates to join the Apple board will now be required to gain a majority vote to secure their seat.

iPad 2 launch

With Jobs absent from the meeting, it seems to confirm what we already expected; that it won't be the man with the Midas touch unveiling the iPad 2 this time next week.

We'd imagine that Jobs' able deputy Phil Schiller will take the stage in San Francisco, but will Apple's marketing guru to be able to deliver the announcement with the same pizazz as the CEO?

We'll find out next week. In the meantime, get well soon, Steve!

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.