Jon Ive latest source of Apple rumours

There's word of yet another high-profile name stepping away from Apple's campus, and this one might be every bit as devastating as Steve Jobs leave of absence

According to reports from London, Apple head of design Jon Ive might be considering leaving the company. The reports suggest that the designer is pining for a return to Old Blighty and might be ready to cash out his stock option and return to the UK.

The issue may be enough to separate Apple from its chief designer. The Daily Mail reports that if Ive does decide to return to the UK, it could end his time with Apple.

Such a move could be disastrous for Apple at this point. Ive is arguably the second most important mind at Apple, and with Steve Jobs out on medical for the second time in three years the company can hardly afford to part ways with the mind behind its most iconic designs.

There is another possibility that is just as intriguing.

Rumours also suggest that Ive could be named as Apple's next CEO when Steve Jobs finally decides to step down. Should Ive accept the job, it would lock the iconic designer in with Apple, but it would also create a hornet's nest of speculation. Steve Jobs had an eye for design, but he was first and foremost a skilled salesman and leader. Ive has an eye for design, but does he possess the leadership skills and business sense to run a multi-billion dollar electronics company?

Initial reactions are no. Ive doesn't look to have the tools to lead a company and there's not much to indicate he even wants to. As any CEO will tell you, designing works of art is not easy when there's a board of directors breathing down your throat.

At the same time, Apple can't afford to lose Ive either. Given the current state of technology, surely the company can afford to strike a compromise that lets Ive stay in the UK while keeping open channels of communication that let him oversee design with Apple.