Scott Forstall
Scott Forstall | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 28, 1969 Kitsap County, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Software engineer, Broadway producer |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Known for | Leading iOS software development at Apple, co-producing Tony Award-winning Broadway shows |
| Notable work | iOS software, Fun Home (Broadway production), Eclipsed (Broadway production) |
Scott James Forstall (born August 28, 1969) is an American software engineer recognized for heading the initial software development team behind the iPhone and iPad. His career includes positions at NeXT and subsequently at Apple Inc., where he served as senior vice president (SVP) of iOS Software from 2007 until October 2012.
Following his departure from Apple, Forstall transitioned into Broadway production, co-producing the Tony Award-winning shows Fun Home and Eclipsed alongside his wife, Molly Forstall.
Early life and education
Raised in Kitsap County, Washington, Forstall is the second son among three brothers born to Jeanne, a registered nurse, and Tom Forstall, an engineer. His elder brother Bruce works as a senior software design engineer at Microsoft. Demonstrating early aptitude, Forstall excelled in programming as well as advanced mathematics and science during junior high school, gaining hands-on experience with Apple IIe computers.
He advanced academically by skipping a grade to enroll early at Olympic High School, where he actively participated in competitive chess and history clubs. Graduating as valedictorian with a perfect 4.0 GPA, he shared this distinction with classmate Molly Brown, who later became his spouse. His aspirations included becoming a designer specializing in high-technology electronic devices.
Forstall obtained a bachelor's degree in symbolic systems from Stanford University in 1991 before earning a master's degree in computer science from the same institution in 1992. During his time at Stanford, he was affiliated with the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.
NeXT / Apple
In 1992, Forstall joined Steve Jobs's company, NeXT, remaining with the organization after Apple's acquisition in 1997. He took charge of user interface design for the refreshed Macintosh lineup and played a pivotal role in developing the Mac's Aqua interface introduced in 2000, notable for its translucent icons and reflective elements. Elevated to SVP in 2003, he also led the creation of the Safari web browser, earning commendation for his confidence in his team's judgment and ability to maintain confidentiality throughout development.
When Steve Jobs began planning the iPhone in 2005, Forstall led the Macintosh division's internal contest against Tony Fadell's iPod group to determine the phone's software foundation. Forstall's team prevailed, resulting in the establishment of iOS, which utilized Mac OS X to facilitate third-party developer adoption with minimal retraining required. He was instrumental in developing the iPhone software development kit and integrating the App Store into iTunes.
By 2006, following Avie Tevanian's exit, Forstall oversaw Mac OS X releases and was later appointed SVP of iPhone Software. He gained recognition for effectively managing the iOS mobile software team and excelling under demanding conditions.
Forstall was a frequent presenter at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference events, covering topics such as Mac OS X Leopard, iPhone software updates, and unveiling iOS 5. He featured prominently in Apple's iOS launch presentations and demonstrated Siri voice recognition technology during the introduction of the iPhone 4S, highlighting Apple's strategic focus on voice assistant technology originally developed at SRI International.
Departure from Apple
After the launch of iOS 6 in September 2012, Apple encountered notable difficulties. The company’s internally developed Maps application drew widespread criticism for its lack of maturity and inaccuracies. Furthermore, Apple was required to pay around $21 million to Swiss railways due to unauthorized use of a trademarked clock design. In October, Apple’s third-quarter financial results revealed revenue and profit growth that fell short of analyst forecasts for the second quarter in a row.
On October 29, 2012, Apple announced that Scott Forstall would be leaving the company in 2013, taking on a temporary advisory role to CEO Tim Cook. His duties were reassigned: design SVP Jonathan Ive assumed leadership of Human Interface, Craig Federighi took charge of iOS software engineering, services head Eddy Cue became responsible for Maps and Siri, and Bob Mansfield came out of retirement to lead a newly formed technology division. That same day, retail SVP John Browett was dismissed after only six months with the firm.
Forstall’s exit was widely interpreted as forced. CEO Cook sought to cultivate a more cooperative environment by eliminating executives with challenging personalities who had been tolerated under Steve Jobs. Forstall had difficult working relationships with influential figures such as Ive and Mansfield, which obstructed teamwork. Following Jobs’ passing, Forstall lost his key supporter and was perceived as a potential competitor to Cook. Some industry analysts had labeled him a “mini-Steve Jobs” and a probable successor for the CEO position.
Forstall was instrumental in launching the Siri voice assistant in 2011, which garnered mixed reactions. The negative reception of the Maps app under his supervision sparked public backlash; notably, he declined to endorse Apple’s official apology regarding the app’s shortcomings. This refusal played a major role in Cook’s decision to remove him.
His dedication to skeuomorphic design—a visual style strongly championed by Jobs—also created friction within Apple’s design teams. Meanwhile, Ive distanced himself from iOS interface work during that period, concentrating primarily on hardware design.
Present
Following his departure from Apple, Forstall remained largely out of the spotlight for several years, dedicating time to travel, supporting charitable organizations, and informally advising small businesses. On April 17, 2015, he reemerged publicly by tweeting about his role as co-producer of the Broadway musical Fun Home, which went on to win five Tony Awards in June 2015.
In 2015, Forstall also served as an advisor to Snap Inc. On June 20, 2017, he participated in his first public interview since leaving Apple at the Computer History Museum, reflecting on the development of the iPhone during its tenth anniversary of sales.
Continuing his engagement with Broadway productions, Forstall acted as a producer for Hadestown, which received eight Tony Awards. He also took part in Code.org’s online Break event held in May 2020.
In December 2020, it was disclosed that Forstall co-developed WordArt alongside Apple engineer Nat Brown during a Microsoft internship back in 1991. In April 2021, he appeared as one of Apple’s witnesses in the Epic Games v. Apple legal proceedings.
See also
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Apple Inc. executives
- Living people
- Stanford University School of Engineering alumni
- Macintosh operating systems people
- American software engineers
- People from Kitsap County, Washington
- NeXT people
- 1969 births
- Stanford University alumni