Timothy D. Cook

Timothy D. Cook (born November 1960) is the Chief Operating Officer and current acting Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc. having joined in March 1998.

Early life

Cook grew up in Robertsdale, Alabama. His father was a shipyard worker, while his mother was a homemaker. Cook earned B.S. in industrial engineering from Auburn University in 1982, and his M.B.A. from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business in 1988.

Career

Before joining Apple, he spent six months at Compaq as the VP for Corporate Materials before he was hired by Steve Jobs. Prior to that, Cook served as the COO of the computer reseller division of Intelligent Electronics and spent twelve years in IBM's personal computer business as the director of North American Fulfillment.

Cook is credited with pulling Apple out of manufacturing by closing factories and warehouses around the world. This helped the company reduce inventory levels and streamline its supply chain, dramatically increasing margins.

Cook served as Apple CEO for two months in 2004, when Steve Jobs was recovering from pancreatic cancer surgery. Cook also serves on the board of directors of Nike.

On January 14, 2009, it was announced that Cook would fill Steve Jobs' place as Apple CEO. He is expected to serve in this capacity until June 2009 while Jobs takes a leave of absence for medical reasons.

Personal

Cook is a fitness enthusiast and enjoys hiking, cycling, and going to the gymnasium. He regularly begins sending emails at 4:30 AM and used to hold Sunday night staff meetings by telephone to prepare for the next week. He is a bachelor.