Tim Cook will give this year’s commencement address for graduating students at Stanford University.
This is same school where Cook’s predecessor, Steve Jobs, gave one of the most memorable commencement addresses in history in 2005. No pressure, Tim!
Tim Cook at Stanford
“Tim Cook has spoken forcefully of the challenges and responsibilities confronting corporations and our society today,” said Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne in a press release. “In tackling these, he has led with vision and values – qualities that reflect the culture of our Stanford community, and that are top-of-mind for our students and our country. Tim was a natural choice to challenge and encourage our graduates as they leave our campus and find their own paths in the world.”
In his own statement, Cook made reference to the close connection that Apple and Stanford have enjoyed over the years. Many Apple employees have passed through Stanford. Apple co-founder Jobs also enjoyed visiting the campus, located about a 15-minute drive from Cupertino.
“It’s an honor to have been invited by Stanford’s students and faculty, and I look forward to deepening the remarkable relationship that Stanford and Apple have built together over many years,” Cook said. “We share so much more than geography. The passion, interests and creativity our institutions have in common have helped to revolutionize technology and reshape the world, and I can’t wait to join graduates, as well as their family and friends, in celebrating the even brighter possibilities of the future.”
Tim Cook: An in-demand commencement speaker
If Cook ever finds that running Apple is too much for him, it seems he’d have no problems filling his calendar as a sought-after commencement speaker. He previously gave addresses at The George Washington University, MIT and his former alma mater, Duke University.
In May, Cook will deliver a keynote speech to graduating students at Tulane University in New Orleans. His Stanford commencement speech will take place in Stanford Stadium on Sunday, June 16.
For those who want to revisit Jobs’ deservedly famous Stanford commencement address, I’ve included it below:
