If you try to sum up Tim Cook’s 15 years as Apple CEO in a single word, “boring” would have to be the top contender. It should not be surprising, then, that his retirement announcement It was an orderly affair. No public controversy or drama; just a seasoned executive preparing to hand over the reins of one of the most profitable and innovative companies in the world to another Apple veteran.
This was the plan all along. From solidifying a reliable supply chain to maintaining a stable leadership team, Cook transformed parts of Apple into an incredibly regimented and predictable operation. Then, of course, his exit would be equally disciplined.
Boring headlines are not interesting; Cook was less inclined than his predecessor to go “thermonuclear.” However, this measured approach has meant that consumers get the products they want, when they want them, as Cook focused on the non-glamorous aspects of running a business (his Appearance at the 2016 Met Gala although). That might be the biggest question mark surrounding Incoming CEO John Ternus: Can you drive innovation while monitoring the nitty-gritty details that keep Apple running?
Tim Cook will step down as CEO of Apple. So what now?
Tim Cook: the real stable genius?
cook was thrust into CEO role at the end of August 2011, when Steve Jobs was forced to resign for health reasons. He passed away Several months later, a day after Apple introduced the iPhone 4s, Cook had to figure out what Apple would be like without Steve Jobs.
Tim Cook at the launch of the iPhone 4s in 2011 (Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
For 15 years, Cook has remained largely untouched by controversy. He was brave enough to come out as gaywhich did not cause a sensation in a company that had diversity long embraced. He’s been largely out of the spotlight until recently, when his frequent trips to the White House along with other Silicon Valley CEOs talk of artificial intelligence, immigration and tariffs ruffled some feathers in Cupertino.
Cook’s ability to seamlessly manage Apple’s supply chain and operations is almost certainly the reason he was chosen to lead the company in 2011. At that time, it already had a revolutionary product: the iPhone, and it was taking over the tablet market with the iPad. Apple needed someone to keep the ship steady and optimize growth.
Cook during a visit to the Oval Office in August (Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
By the time Cook became CEO, four iPhone models had already been released and each of them sold more than all previous models combined. It was a rocket that, in retrospect, was barely taking off. Cook has harnessed the potential of the iPhone to fly to the moon and at the same time has pioneered new categories of products and services such as apple watchAirPods, Apple Music and Apple TV. (He Vision Pro It may still be stuck on the launch pad.)
Cook’s departure as CEO on September 1 gives the company time to catch its breath after the successful March launch of the macbook neo and the next Worldwide Developers Conferencewhere Cook can defend what his team has been working on during his last year as CEO and say goodbye to the developer community that helped him grow.
However, it won’t stray too far. Please note that the Press release about his retirement begins with “Tim Cook will become CEO of Apple,” not “Tim Cook will step down as CEO,” because the company wants Wall Street to know that the person who has made investors rich will be there to monitor his progress.
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Can Ternus continue the streak?
Supply chain stability isn’t as exciting a topic as the iPhone’s new features, but it does mean that when you shell out over $1,000 for that new smartphone, it’ll be in your hands almost immediately. no more standing outside the Apple Store waiting for an iPhone that is in short supply.
The company makes more iPhones in more sizes, colors and variants than ever before, but wait times are almost non-existent. You can get the product you want, whenever you want. (Well, maybe a couple of weeks for that blushing MacBook Neo.)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused supply chain chaos, Apple weathered the storm despite the resulting chip shortage. Can Ternus continue like this? AI companies are hoarding RAM for their data centers, forcing some companies to raise prices. Apple managed to launch a $599 laptop in the midst of this turmoil, but to be fair, the Neo only has 8GB of RAM.
As a proven hardware engineer, Ternus will likely see many product innovations take shape under his watch. But I’ll be curious to see if it can also keep the trains running on time. If it can do both, it will be a big win for the company and consumers.
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Experience
I’ve been a contributor to PCMag since 2019, covering Apple, electric vehicles, and many other consumer electronics products. If a device plugs into the wall or uses a battery, there’s a good chance you’ve tried it and have some ideas about its place in our daily lives. I write feature articles, how-to guides and daily news.
I first tried writing about technology for fast company in 2013, mainly how it intersected with the music industry. Since then, I’ve written for dozens of publications and explored every other facet of service journalism, from reviews to buying guides. At one point, I took a break from journalism for a few years to work at a tech startup and then an industry Goliath, both valuable experiences for understanding how the tech business works from top to bottom.
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