Timothy Donald “Tim” Cook is a renowned American business executive, developer, and industrial engineer who gained international prominence after being named the Chief Executive Officer of the fortune 500 company Apple Inc in August 2011. Cook previously served in the positions of Senior Vice President, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, working under founder Steve Jobs.

In his position as company CEO. Cook advocated American manufacturing of Apple Products along with political reformation. Other changes recommended by him include domestic and international surveillance, corporate national and international taxation, cybersecurity as well as environmental preservation. In 2012, the board of members of Apple Inc., awarded Cook with a compensation of 1 million shares, that could be vested in 2016 and 2012. In March 2015, He pledged to donate his entire stock fortune to numerous charities.

Early Life and Education

Cook was born in the city of Mobile, Alabama, USA on 1^st November 1960 as one of the three sons of Geraldine and Donald Cook and was raised in Robertsdale, Alabama. While his father worked on Shipyards, his mother served as a Pharmacy worker. Cook was baptised at an Alabama Church when he was a child. Cook has two siblings, brothers Gerald and Michael. He is of white ethnicity.

Cook completed his primary and secondary education and graduated from The Robertsdale High School in Alabama. He then attended Auburn University, Alabama to study engineering and earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in industrial engineering in 1982. Cook then enrolled into Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in North Carolina, and graduated in 1988 with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

Career Rise

Cook began his career in 1982 as an International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) executive, hoping to build a career in the computer technology industry, where he rose in ranks and became the fulfilment director of the North and Latin American divisions, handling manufacturing and distribution of IBM Personal Computers. Cook left IBM in 1994 to join Intelligent Electronics as the COO of the reseller division, serving at the company until 1998. He then started serving as vice president for corporate materials at Compaq Computer Corporation but received an offer from Steve Jobs of Apple Inc within a few months of his service at Compaq.

Cook joined Apple Inc. as a Senior Vice President in 1998, even though the company’s profits were on a steady decline. He was put in charge of global sales and operations management, including support and service. Cook developed supplier relationship strategies and was later named the head of the company’s Macintosh division. Apple Inc. started reporting profits within one year of Cook’s employment. Cook streamlined operations and supply chains, closed company warehouses, replaced factories with contract manufacturers and created innovative and successful marketing strategies. Apple Inc. launched an innovative range of products under Cook which include the iPod, iMac and iPhone, establishing Apple as a Status company. Cook was named COO of Apple in January 2007 and in 2009, he became the acting CEO when Jobs was diagnosed of Cancer. In August 2011, Jobs named Cook his successor after resigning to tend to his health.

Tim Cook – Young (Childhood) Pictures

 

Personal Life

Cook came out as gay in 2014, becoming the first ever CEO of any Fortune 500 company to do so. Although he publicly accepted his sexual preference, Cook claims to be a private person and has not disclosed any details about his partner.

When Jobs was ill in 2009, Cook offered a part of his liver to him. However, Jobs declined the offer stressing he would not permit Cook to do so. The Apple CEO’s many achievements include the 2014 Financial Times ‘Person of the Year’ award, the 2015 Fortune Magazine ‘World’s Greatest Leader’ award and the ‘Ripple of Change Award’.

Tim Cook – Salary and Net Worth

Cook makes $10.28 million on average, in annual salary and has an estimated net worth of approximately $785 million.