GoKawiilApple CEO Tim Cook is giving up the title and passing the torch to John Ternus on September 1.
Unsurprisingly, Cook is taking on the role of board executive chairman, a position in which Cook is expected to remain very active as Apple’s chief global diplomat. Retiring as CEO? Yes. But retiring into the sunset? Hardly. You can take Tim at his word when he says he can’t imagine life without Apple.
As Apple’s CEO transition shifts into the public-facing phase, I couldn’t help but revisit some of the official press material from the previous changing of the guard.
That happened under very different circumstances, of course, with Steve Jobs at the end of his life. It’s incredibly touching to revisit now. There are also echoes of Steve’s endorsement of Tim Cook in Tim’s endorsement of the next Apple CEO, John Ternus.
Tim Cook inherited Apple while experiencing a deeply personal loss
Looking back, Tim Cook had a remarkable task ahead of him. He was taking over Apple, with Steve’s blessing and full endorsement, but Steve wouldn’t be around to offer guidance.
At the same time, Cook had to perform while experiencing the loss of his mentor and friend.
Today, observers measure Cook’s performance largely on company value and stock performance. He did take Apple from a $350 billion company to one worth $4 trillion over the span of nearly 15 years.
But he also started his tenure while under immense pressure to maintain an Apple that just lost its leader. And for Cook, Steve’s passing was deeply and uniquely personal.
We should especially celebrate Cook’s leadership in those early days, given the magnitude of the shift beneath his feet at the time.
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