Steve Jobs handed in his resignation letter and now most people, especially if you are not a hardcore Apple fan, you might ask who is Tim Cook, Steve Job’s replacement?
A recent article from Padgadget gives us a good brief history of who he is:
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.
Here’s what Tim Cook will need to beat:
Steve Jobs track record:
– Value of 100 Apple shares: $1,369 in 1997 vs. $150,590 in 2011, for a difference of $149,221.
– Number of times Jobs listed as inventor on Apple patents: 313.
– Number of times Jobs listed as lead inventor on Apple patents: 33 (For perspective: Google founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin appear on around a dozen patents total).
– Apple market capitalization: $2.3 billion in 1997 vs. $342.9 billion in 2011.
– Mac computer shipments: Around 2.6 million in 1997 vs. 13.66 million in 2010. Add in iPads, and estimates for 2011 sales approach 54 million.
– Apple cash reserves: $1.2 billion in 1997 vs. $75.9 billion in 2011.
– Apple retail stores: The first opened in 2001, and by the end of that year there were27 vs. 339 in 2011.
– iPhone shipments: 3.7 million in 2007 vs. an estimated 95 million in 2011.
– iTunes Store songs sold: 100 million in 2004 vs. 10 billion in 2010.
– App Store downloads: 10 million in 2008 vs. 15 billion in 2010.
stats from gigaom.com
He sounds like the right man for the Job, however he’s name is not Steve. He has big boots to fill, but he has been around from a very long time and would have learnt a lot from Steve, not to mention that Steve Jobs never really quits, he’s still there in the shadows and will still be available for advice. The move makes me feel Steve has followed in the foot steps of Bill Gates however for different reasons.
I wish him best of luck and I hope he brings all the excitements Steve brought to Apple fans.
What are your thoughts?
Source: Padgadget
