Who is Tim Cook?
Steve Jobs has long been a household name and is known worldwide, but the same is not true about Tim Cook, Apple’s former Chief Operating Officer and current Chief Executive Officer.
Tim Cook, a fitness enthusiast with a degree in industrial engineering and an M.B.A, may be relatively unknown, but he’s no stranger to running things at Apple.
Back in 2004, Cook served as Apple CEO when Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and again in 2009 when Jobs had a liver transplant. While he originally worked as the Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations, streamlining manufacturing processes and supply chains, he was promoted to COO of Apple in January of 2007.
As COO, Cook was responsible for the company’s worldwide sales and operations, including management of Apple’s supply chain, sales activities, service, and support in all markets and countries. He was also the head of Apple’s Macintosh division, playing a key role in the development of reseller and supplier relationships.
In January 2011, Jobs took another leave of absence, leaving Cook in charge of Apple’s day-to-day operations. Essentially, aside from the major decisions, Cook has been running Apple since the beginning of 2011, so it’s no surprise that Jobs recommended him as a successor.
Cook is widely known as the calm to Steve Jobs’ storm, with a courtly, Southern demeanor (as described by The New York Times) that directly contrasts Jobs erratic and often mercurial temperament. While he may not have the charisma and public speaking abilities of Jobs, Cook has been carefully groomed to take over for Jobs. Also, it’s important to note that he has a great team to work with, with design expert Jonathan Ives and marketing genius Phil Schiller at his side.
However, Steve Jobs is a hard act to follow. Will Tim Cook manage to live up to expectations and keep Apple afloat? Let us know what you think in the comments.
