Who is Tim Cook
Tim Cook is the current chief executive officer of Apple Inc and a member of its board of directors. He joined the company in March 1998. On August 24, 2011, he was made the CEO of Apple after the resignation of Steve Jobs. Tim Cook’s net worth is estimated at $625.37 million. He's a hugely influential player in technology, design, publishing, and entertainment.
Early years and education:
Cook was born on November 1, 1960, in Alabama, US. His father, Donald Cook, worked in a shipyard and his mother was a pharmacist. He earned an MBA from the Duke University, where he was a Fuqua Scholar, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the Auburn University.
Before joining Apple
Prior to joining Apple, Cook worked at IBM for 12 years, ultimately rising to the rank of director of North American fulfilment, where he managed manufacturing and distribution for IBM's personal computer business in North and Latin America. He then moved to Intelligent Electronics as the chief operating officer for its reseller division. He also had a stint at Compaq Computer as vice-president for corporate materials and was responsible for managing the company's product inventory before eventually joining Apple.
At Apple
In 1998, Cook launched his career at Apple after co-founder Steve Jobs invited him to join as a senior vice-president for worldwide operations. For Cook, the decision to defect from Compaq and accept this opportunity was “based on gut instinct rather than good thought”.
Cook was quoted as saying in media reports: "I listened to my intuition, not the left side of my brain, or for that matter, even the people who knew me best. No more than five minutes into my initial interview with Steve, I wanted to throw caution and logic to the wind and join Apple. My intuition already knew that joining Apple was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work for the creative genius."
Before being named CEO, Cook was Apple’s chief operating officer and was responsible for all of the company’s worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple’s supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries. He also headed Apple’s Macintosh division and played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.
Cook’s leadership skills have been widely hailed as both effective and democratic. Known to be quiet and mild-mannered, Cook keeps employees focused and driven by barraging them with an abundance of questions designed to ensure that they understand the tasks set before them and honour their responsibilities in a timely and well-executed manner.