The Real Power Apple’s Board has Over Creative Processes

Arthur D. Levinson, a former CEO of California-based Genentech and now Chairman of the Board at Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), addressed a group of students at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business on Tuesday.

According to reports by Fortune and carried by Apple Insider, the board at Apple has relatively little to do with the creative end of the operation at Apple, and products are typically presented anywhere from six months to a year and a half ahead of the full public reveal. 

Opinions on the product from the board are sometimes taken into account, although it depends on how much time there is before the product launch. Typically, the board will let the CEO and design teams take initiative, and ride in the backseat. Levinson adds that if a board member has specific expertise in a certain area, his opinion may be taken in higher regard.