Apple CEO Tim Cook has been named as one of Time’s 100 most influential people list that rounds up the top leaders, artists, and public figures that have shaped the world the most the last year.
Cook has frequently appeared on the list, but perhaps is more deserving of it than ever this year after leading Apple in a public fight against the federal government of digital security and privacy. Other notable people on the list include Bernie Sanders, Kendrick Lamar, Vladimir Putin, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Felix Kjellberg (a.k.a. PewDiePie).
Disney CEO Bob Iger wrote Cook’s entry this year — last year it was written by Civil Right’s activist Jerry Lewis — that praised Cook’s leadership.
“[Apple’s] continued success requires a leader of great courage and character who demands excellence, upholds the highest ethical standards and routinely challenges the status quo, including encouraging vital conversations about who we are as a culture and a community. Tim Cook is that kind of leader.”
Tim Cook has repeatedly appeared on the Time 100 list since 2012, the year after he took over as CEO of Apple. While Steve Jobs was praised for guiding Apple’s innovation, Cook has been a different type of leader by taking a stronger stand on the environment, equality, inclusion, and human rights.
“Behind his soft-spoken demeanor and Southern manners is a focused fearlessness that comes from deep personal conviction,” writes Bob Iger. “Tim is committed to doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time and for the right reasons.”
