Apple’s Steve Jobs Disciple and Google Defector to Get Spotlight at Search Trial
The US Department of Justice's trial against Alphabet Inc.'s Google will drag two of Apple Inc.'s highest-ranking executives into the spotlight: services head Eddy Cue and artificial intelligence chief John Giannandrea.
The two men rode considerably different paths to Apple's executive suite but now find themselves central to the government's case that Google abused its power in the online search market.
Giannandrea has the distinction of being a former Google executive, and sat opposite Cue when the companies negotiated their search agreement — an accord that's now under scrutiny in the trial. Cue, meanwhile, is a Steve Jobs disciple and consummate dealmaker. The two executives' testimony, expected in the coming days, will help show whether Google's search dominance has ultimately hindered competition and limited options for consumers.
Cue, 58, is a veteran of testifying on Apple's behalf. He had a starring role in the eBooks price-fixing trial a decade ago and more recently testified in an Apple lawsuit against Qualcomm Inc.
His time at Apple began in the late 1980s, when Cue was a manager overseeing customer support. Over time, he gained the ear of Jobs, Apple's co-founder, becoming one of his closest friends and colleagues. He also garnered a reputation for striking complex deals and fixing problems with products.
Cue oversaw the launch of the original iTunes store in 2003, working with Jobs to get record labels to sell songs individually for 99 cents. He helped broker the first iPhone carrier arrangement with AT&T Inc. in 2007 and refined products like the company's email and maps services.
Today, Cue oversees all of Apple's main services, including music, iCloud online storage and the TV streaming platform. He's also at
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