Tim Cook looks to mold a more streamlined Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook is starting to initiate change at the tech giant, looking to create a more streamlined and disciplined organization without straying from the company's forward thinking culture.
In a report released on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal notes that Apple has seen a more streamlined operating structure with improved internal communication since Tim Cook took the helm as CEO in August, suggesting that he has already begun to effect change within the company.
Cook is described as a competent and organized manager who is already tweaking the structure of the world's most valuable tech company, including a restructuring of Apple's education division, making high-level promotions and being open to suggestions from employees. The changes have prompted one analyst to call Cook a contrast of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
"Steve thought he had all the answers," said Toni Sacconaghi, a research analyst for Sanford Bernstein & Co. "I am not sure Tim thinks he has all the answers."
Despite the changes that Cook initiated, the CEO is not expected to completely overhaul the company as he "isn't a fan of reorganizations," said a person familiar with the matter.
Cook is also a strong believer in Apple's culture of product development and design, though his colleagues and friends say that he is "not a product guy," an observation also noted by Jobs in Walter Isaacson's recently published biography about the former Apple chief. In a briefing of a new service Cook asked an employee, "tell me again how this helps me sell more phones?"
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at Apple's Steve Jobs celebration
What Cook lacks in product knowledge he makes up for in a clear-minded and open approach to management, something that Jobs eschewed in place of gut intuition.
One of the first managerial moves Cook made in his first days as CEO was to mete responsibility to senior executives like vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller and sales executive John Brandon. Eddy Cue was also promoted to senior vice president of Internet software and services, a very visible position within the company.
Another corporate-level change is recently-announced charitable matching program that calls for Apple to match employee donations up to $10,000 per year, a change from the Jobs who was reportedly against giving money away.
Looking to the future of Apple, many investors are anticipating Cook will eventually focus on what the company will do with its $81.6 billion cash hoard. It was reported that Jobs was opposed to stock buybacks, but Cook said that he was "not religious about holding cash or not holding it," during the company's fourth quarter earnings call last month.
Some investment banks suggest that Apple could offer either dividends or stock buybacks, however the final decision would be up to the board of directors, of which Cook is a member.
In a report released on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal notes that Apple has seen a more streamlined operating structure with improved internal communication since Tim Cook took the helm as CEO in August, suggesting that he has already begun to effect change within the company.
Cook is described as a competent and organized manager who is already tweaking the structure of the world's most valuable tech company, including a restructuring of Apple's education division, making high-level promotions and being open to suggestions from employees. The changes have prompted one analyst to call Cook a contrast of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
"Steve thought he had all the answers," said Toni Sacconaghi, a research analyst for Sanford Bernstein & Co. "I am not sure Tim thinks he has all the answers."
Despite the changes that Cook initiated, the CEO is not expected to completely overhaul the company as he "isn't a fan of reorganizations," said a person familiar with the matter.
Cook is also a strong believer in Apple's culture of product development and design, though his colleagues and friends say that he is "not a product guy," an observation also noted by Jobs in Walter Isaacson's recently published biography about the former Apple chief. In a briefing of a new service Cook asked an employee, "tell me again how this helps me sell more phones?"
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at Apple's Steve Jobs celebration
What Cook lacks in product knowledge he makes up for in a clear-minded and open approach to management, something that Jobs eschewed in place of gut intuition.
One of the first managerial moves Cook made in his first days as CEO was to mete responsibility to senior executives like vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller and sales executive John Brandon. Eddy Cue was also promoted to senior vice president of Internet software and services, a very visible position within the company.
Another corporate-level change is recently-announced charitable matching program that calls for Apple to match employee donations up to $10,000 per year, a change from the Jobs who was reportedly against giving money away.
Looking to the future of Apple, many investors are anticipating Cook will eventually focus on what the company will do with its $81.6 billion cash hoard. It was reported that Jobs was opposed to stock buybacks, but Cook said that he was "not religious about holding cash or not holding it," during the company's fourth quarter earnings call last month.
Some investment banks suggest that Apple could offer either dividends or stock buybacks, however the final decision would be up to the board of directors, of which Cook is a member.
Comments
he doesn't understand apple at all. They may as well ask the homeless woman in my hood what she thinks Cook will do or think.
Fukeeng JOKE.
Here we go. Don't say you haven't been warned.
Remember iTroll, that Steve told Tim not to ask "What would Steve do?"
By saying so, Steve was telling Tim he had enough faith in him that he would keep the Apple ship moving on an upward trajectory based on what he knew he could do.
Remember iTroll, that Steve told Tim not to ask "What would Steve do?"
By saying so, Steve was telling Tim he had enough faith in him that he would keep the Apple ship moving on an upward trajectory based on what he knew he could do.
Steve Jobs was a genius not a soothsayer- you mean what he "thought" he could do.
Remember Steve Jobs brought John Sculley to Apple too.
Either way. I think that what Tim is doing is keeping Apple going. He will still make the final decision, but he would rather have multiple people to suggest ideas and keep the ball rolling then to just... Stop. I'm pretty sure Steve knew that this would be the way Tim would run the company.
If Tim Cook is not a "product guy" then who is, now that Steve is gone?
Jonathan Ive
they should sell the buildings for scrap and hand the money back to the shareholders. the rest is worthless. Tim is doing stuff differently. Doomed, Apple is. selling both my stocks.
Remember Disney in the 70's- ye gods!
If Tim Cook is not a "product guy" then who is, now that Steve is gone? That's what concerns me the most, looking at the 10-year picture.
Not any one person. Steve was Apple. He was a one man company who delegated his work to other people but they did what he wanted.
In the Steveless Apple, several people whom he groomed have taken over areas of their expertise.
Here is what your "new Steve Jobs" looks like:
It's not one person, it's many people.
Tim Cook is the best at running the ship, but somebody like Jony Ive for example has taken a leadership role in his area of expertise: industrial design. Steve and him used to confer on designs. Now Ive does it himself. Jobs used to brainstorm all ads and marketing strategies with the agencies Apple dealt with. Phil Schiller was part of that. Now Phil is solely in charge.
If you're looking for a single person who will do all that Jobs did, you won't find one, but the sum of all the men (no women strangely) does make for a very competitive Steve replacement. Upset at the word "replacement"? Don't be. Steve himself designed it.
they should sell the buildings for scrap and hand the money back to the shareholders. the rest is worthless. Tim is doing stuff differently. Doomed, Apple is. selling both my stocks.
Stop quoting Michael Dell
Not any one person. Steve was Apple. He was a one man company who delegated his work to other people but they did what he wanted.
In the Steveless Apple, several people whom he groomed have taken over areas of their expertise.
Here is what your "new Steve Jobs" looks like:
It's not one person, it's many people.
Tim Cook is the best at running the ship, but somebody like Jony Ive for example has taken a leadership role in his area of expertise: industrial design. Steve and him used to confer on designs. Now Ive does it himself. Jobs used to brainstorm all ads and marketing strategies with the agencies Apple dealt with. Phil Schiller was part of that. Now Phil is solely in charge.
If you're looking for a single person who will do all that Jobs did, you won't find one, but the sum of all the men (no women strangely) does make for a very competitive Steve replacement. Upset at the word "replacement"? Don't be. Steve himself designed it.
Such a good post it's worth posting again
There is one thing that worries me slightly and that is that there's no "Mac OS" equivalent to Scott Forstall.
Steve hand-picked these people (and others) to carry on his legacy. Let's give them a chance.
Haven't people put iKol on ignore? O_o
He's employed by AI to get the click count as high as possible.
Thank you for doing your part.
.. and now I've done mine.
About Cook... he might even manage Apple better than Steve, but he'll have to work very closely with Ive. jmho
Alan Mulally once said that the problem with most CEOs is that they're driving by the shareholders instead of the product. If you have the product, you have the sales, you have the revenue, you have the profits, and therefore you have the shareholders.
There is one thing that worries me slightly and that is that there's no "Mac OS" equivalent to Scott Forstall.
Having a trusted replacement for Bertrand Serlet should have been Apple's first priority when he resigned.
Sort of makes me think of a reason that he might have resigned in the first place?
If Tim Cook is not a "product guy" then who is, now that Steve is gone? That's what concerns me the most, looking at the 10-year picture.
I was about to say the same thing. Steve loved the gadgets he was creating and dreamed of them at night. His enthusiasm was obvious and contagious. When the passion and driving force move along, we get today's Microsoft.