How is Tim Cook different to Steve Jobs?
By Josh Lowensohn, CNET News.com on November 3rd, 2011
Tim Cook has been Apple's chief executive officer for little more than two months, but he's already made some distinct changes from his predecessor, a new report says.
The Wall Street Journal has posted a profile of Cook's experience since taking on the CEO role (subscription required). The paper took a close look at a number of changes made during his tenure so far, which began in August when the company's late co-founder Steve Jobs stepped down as CEO.
Among the key points in the article is that the company began a charity matching program in early September, which matched donations made by employees up to US$10,000 a year. The Journal notes that Jobs "was opposed to giving money away", citing an unnamed source who attended one of the company's off-site meeting in 2010.
It's also noted that Cook communicates more than Jobs, including company-wide emails. Several of those emails have leaked out since Cook took office, including the one announcing the aforementioned charity matching program, senior promotions and details about when the company planned to hold a celebration of Jobs' life at its Cupertino headquarters.
Finally, the piece also offers conjecture that Cook might treat Apple's US$81.6 billion cash pile differently from Jobs, who used it sparingly for acquisitions during his tenure, including recent buys like Siri and Quattro Wireless.
Cook has been under a microscope since taking over as CEO of Apple. Despite the fact that he filled in for Jobs during his medical absences, the company had hedged its bets by stating that Jobs would, at that time, still be involved in strategic decision making.
Cook's first public showing in the new role was at the unveiling of the iPhone 4S, a performance critics panned as bland, but was quickly overshadowed by the passing of Jobs the next day.
Tim Cook has been Apple's chief executive officer for little more than two months, but he's already made some distinct changes from his predecessor, a new report says.
The Wall Street Journal has posted a profile of Cook's experience since taking on the CEO role (subscription required). The paper took a close look at a number of changes made during his tenure so far, which began in August when the company's late co-founder Steve Jobs stepped down as CEO.
Among the key points in the article is that the company began a charity matching program in early September, which matched donations made by employees up to US$10,000 a year. The Journal notes that Jobs "was opposed to giving money away", citing an unnamed source who attended one of the company's off-site meeting in 2010.
It's also noted that Cook communicates more than Jobs, including company-wide emails. Several of those emails have leaked out since Cook took office, including the one announcing the aforementioned charity matching program, senior promotions and details about when the company planned to hold a celebration of Jobs' life at its Cupertino headquarters.
Finally, the piece also offers conjecture that Cook might treat Apple's US$81.6 billion cash pile differently from Jobs, who used it sparingly for acquisitions during his tenure, including recent buys like Siri and Quattro Wireless.
Cook has been under a microscope since taking over as CEO of Apple. Despite the fact that he filled in for Jobs during his medical absences, the company had hedged its bets by stating that Jobs would, at that time, still be involved in strategic decision making.
Cook's first public showing in the new role was at the unveiling of the iPhone 4S, a performance critics panned as bland, but was quickly overshadowed by the passing of Jobs the next day.