Apple's board to meet to decide Eric Schmidt's replacement

According to the WSJ, Apple’s board will meet next Tuesday to decide who will replace outgoing Eric Schmidt.  Dr. Schmidt, who had been an Apple board member since 2006, left Apple’s board late last month, citing a conflict as Apple’s and Google’s businesses increasingly overlap. 

Apple’s board meets four times a year and includes Chief Executive Steve Jobs, Intuit Chairman Bill Campbell, former Vice President Al Gore, Avon Products CEO Andrea Jung, former Chrysler finance chief Jerome York, Genentech Chairman (and Google board member) Arthur Levinson, and J. Crew CEO Millard Drexler.

Apple’s bylaws stipulate its board can have five to nine members; its board has stayed more or less constant at seven to eight members.  The WSJ says that the new board member will be watched as the current board "has been criticized by investors and corporate governance experts for its lack of independence from Mr. Jobs."

They remind us that Tim Cook could be considered for a board seat.  We had a poll a few months ago on whether or not Eric Schmidt should stay on.  You voted 3:1 that he should.  We had another poll last week on who should replace Schmidt.   We’re bringing it back (below).