| Timothy D. Cook | |
|---|---|
Tim Cook in 2009 |
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| Born | November 1, 1960 Robertsdale, Alabama, United States |
| Alma mater | Auburn University (B.S.) Duke University (M.B.A.) |
| Occupation | CEO, Apple Inc. |
Timothy D. "Tim" Cook (born November 1, 1960) is the chief executive officer of Apple Inc.,[1] having joined the company in March 1998.[2] He was named the CEO of Apple after Steve Jobs announced his resignation on August 24, 2011.
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Cook grew up in Robertsdale, Alabama, near Mobile. His father was a shipyard worker, while his mother was a homemaker. Cook graduated from high school at Robertsdale High School, earned a B.S. degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University in 1982,[3] and his M.B.A. from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business in 1988.[4]
Cook spent six months at Compaq as VP for Corporate Materials before he was hired by Steve Jobs to join Apple. He initially served as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations.[2] Prior to that, Cook served as the chief operating officer (COO) of the computer reseller division of Intelligent Electronics and spent 12 years in IBM's personal computer business as the director of North American Fulfillment.[2]
Cook is credited with pulling Apple out of manufacturing by closing factories and warehouses around the world. This helped the company reduce inventory levels and streamline its supply chain, dramatically increasing margins.[5] In January 2007, Cook was promoted to COO.[6]
Cook served as Apple CEO for two months in 2004, when Jobs was recovering from pancreatic cancer surgery. In 2009, Cook again served as Apple CEO for several months while Jobs took a leave of absence for a liver transplant.
In January 2011, Apple's Board of Directors approved a third medical leave of absence requested by Jobs. During that time, Cook was responsible for most of Apple’s day-to-day operations while Jobs made most major decisions.[7] Following the resignation of Jobs, Cook was made CEO of Apple Inc. on August 24, 2011.[8][9]
Cook also serves on the board of directors of Nike.[10]
Cook is a fitness enthusiast and enjoys hiking, cycling, and going to the gym. He regularly begins sending emails at 4:30 am and used to hold Sunday night staff meetings by telephone to prepare for the next week.[5]
While giving the 2010 commencement speech at Auburn University, Cook emphasized the importance of intuition in guiding his life's biggest choices, and followed by stating that preparation and hard work are also necessary to execute on that intuition.[11]
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Steve Jobs |
CEO of Apple 2011–present |
Incumbent |