A recent report from The Wall Street Journal gives an inside look at Tim Cook’s influence as Apple’s new CEO during the past couple of weeks. Cook has been known as the mastermind behind Apple’s incredibly efficient operations for years.
In the wake of Steve Jobs’ death, Cook has already begun to do things differently than Jobs, and he is proving to be a very different type of Apple CEO.
“But the low-key Mr. Cook has already put his operational mark on Apple in ways that suggest the company won’t be entirely the same as under its intense and tempestuous co-founder.
In recent weeks, Mr. Cook has tended to administrative matters that never interested Mr. Jobs, such as promotions and corporate reporting structures, according to people familiar with the matter. The new chief executive, 50 years old, has also been more communicative with employees than his predecessor, sending a variety of company-wide emails while addressing Apple employees as “Team,” people close to the company said.
Mr. Cook has also displayed some different corporate philosophies from Mr. Jobs. The new CEO recently announced a charitable matching program promising Apple would match employee donations to non-profits of up to $10,000 a year, starting in the U.S. In contrast, Mr. Jobs said at a company off-site last year that he was opposed to giving money away, according to a person who attended.”
While Steve Jobs was known for being the epitome of a visionary, Cook is known for his hands-on management style. Cook is a man of discipline and passion. Since he became chief operating officer in 2005, he has streamlined Apple’s operations overseas in such a way that Apple now has the upper hand when manufacturing products and negotiating supply costs. He also ran Apple as temporary CEO during Steve Jobs’ multiple medical leaves of absence.
One of the first things Cook inplemented as CEO was Apple’s new charitable donations program. The company will match employee donations to non-profits of up to $10,000 per year. Steve Jobs never publicly gave money away or promoted charity.
Right after accepting his new position as CEO, Cook responded personally to fan and employee emails alike, and that mindset seems to have continued internally with regards to the way Cook relates to employees on a daily basis.
Cook, however, is not soft when it comes to managing his company. He is known as a strong and authoritative presence inside Apple, and he is surrounded by the rest of Apple’s formidable executive team. Apple will rely on Cook, Phil Schiller, Jony Ive, Scott Forstall, Eddy Cue, the rest of the execs, and board members to guide Apple towards the future.
