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Over the years when Apple Inc. needed a leader to direct the hardware engineering for a key project, top management frequently turned to veteran Bob Mansfield. So, it was logical when CEO Tim Cook wanted a strong leader to take over the reins of the autonomous driving system that he chose Mansfield. Previous to the car project, Mansfield was the senior vice president of Technologies at Apple, a group that combined all of Apple’s wireless teams into one unit, fostering innovation at an even higher level. He was also previously the leader in charge of some of the company’s biggest hits, such as the original iPad, the iMac, and the MacBook Air. Although not an automobile specialist, he is skilled at converting Apple’s hardware division into reality. Mansfield, along with design chief Jony Ive, was one of the few executives to appear in Apple’s carefully designed product announcement videos. Under Mansfield’s leadership, the company has not abandoned its effort to build an Apple Car, but it has begun to focus more heavily on developing an autonomous driving system. Such a system could make it more feasible to partner with a traditional automobile manufacturer in the future. Mansfield has three teams in his division: one for software, one for sensors, and one for hardware engineering. One of the implied purposes of appointing Mansfield to the car project was to get it back on track because the project had been mired in problems. One of the challenges, for example, was for Apple to find a way to differentiate its proposed vehicle for automotive companies entering the self-driving field.  1. Identify at least two roles that Mansfield occupies, and explain your reasoning. 2. What do you see as Mansfield’s most important qualification for heading up the Apple Car project? 3. Even if Apple is a great company and Mansfield is a strong leader, would you ever purchase a self-driving car produced by a maker of electronic gadgets and small computers?