Why Silicon Valley is Buzzing About Apple CEO Succession
Apple’s business continues to hum along, and its CEO, Tim Cook, hasn’t said anything about planning to leave. But that hasn’t stopped Apple executives and alumni from contemplating a post-Cook future.
Tim Cook has been CEO of Apple for nearly 15 years, during which time he has achieved the highly improbable: After replacing an iconic founder, Steve Jobs, Cook transformed Apple into one of the top three most valuable companies in the world. Why, then, are some in his orbit already talking about who could replace him as CEO?
Senior employees at Apple are so sure of the likelihood of big management changes at the company that they have voiced those beliefs to many who have tried to recruit them, according to people who have talked to them. And in recent months, the Financial Times and Bloomberg have both reported that Apple or its board of directors are preparing the company in various ways for a post-Cook future, though the timing for such a change was unclear.