Yocam started his business career with management positions at the Ford Motor Company in the 1960s and moved into technology in the 1970s. Prior to his ten years at Apple Computer, Inc., Yocam held positions with
Control Data Corp.,
Computer Automation, Inc., and the
Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corp. He joined
Apple Computer in 1979 as vice president of manufacturing and operations. He was the executive vice president and general manager of the
Apple II group from 1983 until 1985. From 1986 until 1988, he served as executive vice president and Apple's first chief operating officer (COO). After three years as COO, Yocam became president of Apple Pacific. Yocam was president, chief operating officer (COO), and a board director of
Tektronix, Inc. He joined the
Beaverton, Oregon, manufacturer of test and measurement equipment,
computer graphics products, and television systems in 1992. He is credited with turning around the company, providing eight consecutive quarters of improved core operating income and with refocusing the company's research and development spending, so that more than 50 percent of revenues came from new products, compared with 22 percent in 1991. He was originally tapped to replace the CEO, Jerry Meyer, on Meyer's retirement, but when Meyer put those plans on hold, Yocam quit. His three-year contract was completed in 1995. Yocam was chairman and CEO of
Borland International, Inc.,
Scotts Valley, California, a provider of software and services from 1996 through 1999. He resigned after the acquisition of Visigenics Software was completed in 1999 and the company posted a $10.5 million loss for the 3rd quarter. == Board positions ==