Timothy (Tim) D. Cook

CEO of Apple, Cook has led the company since succeeding Steve Jobs on August 24, 2011. He joined Apple in March 1998 as SVP of Worldwide Operations and also served as EVP of Worldwide Sales and Operations. He has served as COO until January 2011, when he began serving as acting CEO of Apple while Steve Jobs began a medical leave. Cook was named CEO on August 24, 2011, succeeding Steve Jobs, who died on October 5, 2011, from pancreatic cancer.

In early 2012, he was awarded compensation of 1 million shares, vesting in 2016 and 2021, by Apple's Board of Directors. As of January 2012, his total compensation package made him the world's highest paid CEO. Cook has also served on the board of directors of Nike, and in April 2012, Time Magazine included him on its annual 100 Most Influential People in the World list.

He grew up in Robertsdale, Alabama, near Mobile. His father was a shipyard worker, while his mother was a homemaker. Cook graduated from Robertsdale High School, earned a B.S. degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University in 1982, and his M.B.A. from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business in 1988.

He spent 12 years in IBM's personal computer business as the director of North American Fulfillment, then served as the chief operating officer (COO) of the computer reseller division of Intelligent Electronics. He subsequently spent seven months at Compaq as VP for Corporate Materials before he was hired by Steve Jobs to join Apple in 1998, initially serving as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations. Cook is credited with pulling Apple out of manufacturing by closing factories and warehouses around the world, which helped the company reduce inventory levels and streamline its supply chain, dramatically increasing margins. In January 2007, he was promoted to COO.

He served as CEO for two months in 2004, when Jobs was recovering from pancreatic cancer surgery. In 2009, Cook again served as 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 which he was responsible for most of Apple's day-to-day operations while Jobs made most major decisions. Following the resignation of Jobs, Cook was made CEO of Apple Inc. on August 24, 2011.

While giving the 2010 commencement speech at Auburn University, he 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. He regularly begins sending emails at 4:30 am and has held Sunday night staff meetings by telephone to prepare for the next week. Cook is a fitness enthusiast who enjoys hiking, cycling, and going to the gym.