Tim Cook

Timothy Donald Cook (born November 1, 1960) is an American business executive who served as thechief executive officerofApple Inc.from August 2011 to September 2026. On April 20, 2026, Apple announced that Cook would step down as CEO effective September 1, 2026, to become executive chairman of the board of directors, with John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, succeeding him as CEO.[1][2]The leadership transition, which followed a long-term succession planning process, was unanimously approved by the board of directors. Cook remained CEO throughout the summer of 2026 to ensure a smooth handover before taking on a role as executive chairman focused on board leadership and relations with governments and policymakers around the world.[3][4][5][6][7]Cook earned aBachelor of Scienceinindustrial engineeringfromAuburn Universityin 1982 and aMaster of Business AdministrationfromDuke Universityin 1988, where he was named a Fuqua Scholar.[8][9][10]His early career included 12 years atIBM, followed by roles aschief operating officerof the reseller division at Intelligent Electronics and vice president of corporate materials atCompaqComputer Corporation.[8]Cook joined Apple in March 1998 as senior vice president for worldwide operations, where he streamlined the company'ssupply chain, reducing inventory from months to days and enabling just-in-timemanufacturingthat supported rapid product scaling.[8][11]Promoted tochief operating officerin2005, he oversaw global sales and operations; he assumed the role of interim CEO in August 2011 duringSteve Jobs' medical leave and became permanent CEO following Jobs' death in October 2011.[8]Under Cook's leadership, Apple'smarket capitalizationexpanded from about $350 billion in 2011 to more than $3.9 trillion by 2025, driven byiPhonesales exceeding 3 billion units, growth in services revenue, and diversification into wearables like theApple Watch.[12][13][14]He emphasized operational efficiency, strategic supplier relationships, and user privacy, notably refusing a U.S. government request for aniPhonebackdoor in 2016, though his tenure faced scrutiny over labor conditions in Apple's Chinesesupply chainand reliance on foreignmanufacturingamid geopolitical tensions.[11][15][16]