Timothy D. Cook or Tim Cook, the Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc., has been an inspiration to youth since taking up this esteemed position. His leadership approach is commendable as his career and life lessons can teach us how to form a robust foundation for becoming a successful leader. Also known as the “Most Private CEO Ever,” Mr. Cook is patient and calm through all the hard times.
He has been instrumental in taking the tech giant forward and keeping its value intact even when there seemed nothing new to boast about for the revolutionary company. Like every other great leader, Mr. Cook has articulated persuasive visions that set his company’s mission in the wider world. He is capable of communicating those visions to the organization so that his team is deeply inspired to share the journey.
Today, we will learn more about this calmest CEO the world has ever seen. The Infographic given below showcases his early life alongside career and other interesting facts that you may not have known otherwise.
Infographic Content:
The Birth of Brilliant Mind
- Born in Alabama on November 1, 1960
- Graduated from Robertsdale High School in 1978
- Studied industrial engineering from Auburn University in 1982
- Earned his MBA from Duke University in 1988
Cook’s Early Career
- Spent 12 long years in IBM’s personal computer business (1982 to 1994)
- Became the Director of North American fulfillment in IBM
- Worked as the COO of the computer reseller division of Intelligent Electronics, Inc. (1994–97)
- Served as the Vice President of corporate materials at Compaq for six months (1997)
“If you want to take credit, first learn to take responsibility.” ~ Tim Cook
Beginning of His Apple Era
- Joined Apple as the Senior Vice President of worldwide operations in 1998
- Cook became Senior Vice President of worldwide operations, sales, and support in 2000
- In 2012, he started as Executive Vice President of worldwide operations and sales
- He served as interim CEO and chief of the Macintosh division in 2004 while Jobs was unwell
- He became Chief Operating Officer of Apple in 2005 after Jobs returned to work
- In October 2011, he became the CEO after Job’s death
Did you know?
In 2009, Jobs yelled at Cook when he offered a portion of his liver as they share a rare blood type.
“Steve only yelled at me four or five times during the 13 years I knew him, and this was one of them.” ~ Tim Cook
Cook as Apple’s Chief Executive
- Under Cook’s leadership, Apple began using 100% renewable energy in its data centers
- He continued to promote Apple’s progressive core beliefs of diversity, equality, and humanity
- In 2012, Time mentioned Cook on its annual “100 Most Influential People in the World” list
- In 2013, Cook encouraged Congress to pass the Employment Nondiscrimination Act
- In 2014, he decided to do more to protect the LGBT rights during his induction into the Alabama Academy of Honor
- He became the first and also the only openly gay CEO on the Fortune 500 list
- Shareholders were challenged by him to “get out of the stock” if they didn’t share the Apple’s view on sustainability and climate change
- In 2016, Cook traveled to China after the closure of the iTunes Store and Apple Books store by their government
- He publicly denounced the government’s demand to circumvent the phone’s security feature
- Cook raised funds in 2016 election for the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton
- In 2017, Cook was a speaker at the World Internet Conference in China
- Became the Chairman of the advisory board for Tsinghua University’s economics school in 2019
“My most significant discovery so far in my life was the result of one single decision: My decision to join Apple.” ~ Tim Cook
Did you know?
Cook is the Most Private Introvert
- Lives and goes on vacation alone
- Opts individual activities like cycling, hiking
- Chose to keep his personal life private
- Plays trombone in free time
- Uses an off-campus fitness center for privacy
Awards and Recognitions
- The Financial Times Person of the Year in 2014
- Fortune Magazine’s World’s Greatest Leader in 2015
- Alabama Academy of Honor – Inductee in 2015
- Ripple of Change Award in 2015
- Human Rights Campaign’s Visibility Award in 2015
- Honorary Doctor of Science from Glasgow University in 2017
- Courage Against Hate award from Anti-Defamation League in 2018
“I hope people remember me as a good and decent man. And if they do, then that’s a success.” ~ Tim Cook
Source: Biography, Britannica, Encyclopedia of Alabama, The Register, Bloomberg
