Jonathan Ive is Apple's senior vice president in charge of the company's industrial design team. That means Ive is responsible for creating the look and feel of the products the company puts out. Ive could replace Jobs because of his boss's notoriously hands-on approach to the design of products. In the development stages of a product, Jobs will often step in and demand changes to products -- usually for the better -- to give them that iconic Apple look and usability the company is known for. As the man in charge of the physical look and feel of products, Ive has likely spent many hours debating which direction to take products before they are unveiled with Jobs.
