Hours into the announcement that Steve Jobs had resigned as CEO from Apple, the Executive Profiles page at Apple.com reflected the change, listing Timothy D. Cook as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer. “Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple and serves on its Board of Directors,” reads the updated biography of Apple’s former Chief Operating Officer.
Before moving up the ladder this week, Cook was Apple's Chief Operating Officer and the right hand of Steve Jobs, the former Apple CEO and co-founder of the company that makes some of the best gadgets in the world.
Cook has been responsible for all of the company’s worldwide sales and operations, has once headed Apple’s Macintosh division, and he played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships.
Prior to joining Apple, he held several key positions with Corporate Materials for Compaq, and he was the Reseller Division at Intelligent Electronics. Tim also worked at IBM for over a decade.
But he also learned how to play CEO on the several occasions Jobs had to leave to attend to his health.
So Cook steadily built up the experience he needed to replace Jobs, once the visionary would no longer be able to fulfill his duties.
As Jobs himself put it in his goodbye letter, “that day has come.” So Cook decided to also greet Apple with a letter. Unlike Jobs’ letter, Cook’s only addresses the staff at Apple.
In a nutshell, the purpose of the letter is to assure everyone that Apple is not going to change.
Obtained by members of the technology media this week, Cook’s inspiring words are reproduced below, in their entirely.
Team:
I am looking forward to the amazing opportunity of serving as CEO of the most innovative company in the world. Joining Apple was the best decision I’ve ever made and it’s been the privilege of a lifetime to work for Apple and Steve for over 13 years. I share Steve’s optimism for Apple’s bright future.
Steve has been an incredible leader and mentor to me, as well as to the entire executive team and our amazing employees. We are really looking forward to Steve’s ongoing guidance and inspiration as our Chairman.
I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple’s unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that—it is in our DNA. We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do.
I love Apple and I am looking forward to diving into my new role. All of the incredible support from the Board, the executive team and many of you has been inspiring. I am confident our best years lie ahead of us and that together we will continue to make Apple the magical place that it is.
Tim
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