AppleInsider Staff
Apple CEO Tim Cook checked in at number 33 on a new list of the world's 50 greatest leaders, one of only two Silicon Valley executives included in the rankings alongside luminaries like Pope Francis, Bill Clinton, and Derek Jeter.
Cook came in nine slots ahead of new YouTube chief Susan Wojcicki, though both lagged behind Seattle-based Amazon's Jeff Bezos, who was 10th. The rankings were compiled by Fortune editor Geoff Colvin, who praised the "quiet aplomb" with which Cook has gone about succeeding Steve Jobs.
"Following Steve Jobs has arguably been the toughest corporate leadership assignment in decades, yet Cook has carried it off with mostly quiet aplomb," Colvin wrote. "In two-and-a-half years he has kept the parade of winning new products marching (the Retina display, new operating systems, the iPhone 5), and he is bringing in Burberry's savior, Angela Ahrendts, to run Apple's retail stores. That's thinking different."
Since taking the top job in 2011 following Jobs's resignation, Cook has led Apple with what some have called a "methodical, no-nonsense style." Apple is reportedly less "crazy" and "draconian" than it was under Jobs, but Cook has shown a willingness to wield the ax when necessary — longtime Jobs confidant and former iOS chief Scott Forstall was famously fired after refusing to apologize for the calamitous introduction of Apple Maps.
Many armchair analysts have called for Cook's head amid a plummeting stock price and perceived lack of innovation, but a change is highly unlikely. Cook was hand-picked by Jobs and — despite the stock trouble — has presided over the most prosperous period in Apple's history.
Charles Martin
Malcolm Owen
Andrew O'Hara
William Gallagher
23 Comments
Even AI is parroting the 'plummeting' line? Gruber: "Jobs died on 5 October 2011. Apple%u2019s stock closed at $378.25 that day. On Friday 14 March 2014 (last day of trading before the interview was published), Apple%u2019s stock closed at $524.69. (Even if The Sunday Times Magazine has a two-week lead time, Apple%u2019s price has been hovering around $525 for several weeks.) Apple%u2019s stock was, therefore, as of publication of this interview, up 39 percent since Steve Jobs died.1 I repeat: up 39 percent."
I remember when a 39% increase in stock price is considered a success.
...[B]and Bono is in at #8 [/B]ahead, rating him as a better leader than anyone in tech. :err: EDIT: and Derek Jeter is #11??
A bunch of weird, random, seemingly politically-correct choices.
Add: One would have thought that Musk would have made the list. I could name a dozen others.
The world does not have much expectation from Cook. Good. Good.
It only makes their ass kicking hurt even more down the road.