4 takeaways from Apple's hire of auto exec - USA TODAY
A small LinkedIn update by former top Chrysler product quality and service executive Doug Betts has caused a giant stir. Betts, who left Fiat Chrysler Automobiles late last year, updated his LinkedIn profile to say that he has a new role, which he deemed as: "Operations - Apple Inc. News that Betts has joined Apple in some kind of an "operations" role, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal this week, was picked up by dozens of news organizations and tech news websites. Betts is a big-time name from the automotive industry. He is among the first high-level former or current automotive executives to be hired by Apple. Betts joined Chrysler in 2007 after working for Nissan and Chrysler in various quality positions for 21 years. At Nissan, he was senior vice president of manufacturing and at Toyota he was general manager of manufacturing. The automaker announced Betts' departure one day after Consumer Reports released a study showing the quality and reliability of each Chrysler brand, while improving in industry studies over the years, failed to keep up with its competitors. Still, he is respected in the automotive industry and has years of experience, industry knowledge and connections. By hiring Betts, Apple gains an industry veteran who has intimate knowledge about how automakers operate and how they make cars. Source: www.usatoday.com
