This resolution is what the board of directors expected. Cook may not be the perfect candidate for Apple CEO, but he was the best candidate Jobs could find at that time.
What Tim Cook did and what he could do to make Jobs entrust him with a heavy responsibility can be traced back to 1998.
1997 65438+ 10, at Macworld, Jobs gave a speech as an image ambassador and returned to Apple. By the time Jobs became iCEO in September, Apple had lost $6,543.8+$40 million. Jobs needs to rebuild the pirate fleet and save Apple from bankruptcy.
1998 In the early years, after working under Jobs for three months, the director of operations resigned because he was overwhelmed.
Since then, Jobs has been personally responsible for the operation. He thinks the applicant is a "guy with outdated manufacturing ideas", and he hopes to find someone who can build a just-in-time production factory and supply chain like michael dell.
Finally, in March this year, Jobs met Tim Cook. Jobs said of Cook: "Tim Cook is the best employee I have recruited so far."
Tim Cook grew up in Robertsdale, Alabama. His father was a shipbuilder and his mother was a pharmacist. Cook first studied industrial engineering at Auburn University, and then transferred to Duke University, where he obtained a degree in management.
Cook stayed at IBM for 12 years after graduation, and then moved to smart electronics as the chief operating officer of the computer distribution department. A few years later, Cook joined Compaq Computer Company as a purchasing and supply chain manager. After seeing Apple's advertisement for the director of operations, Cook readily applied.
Cook recalled the interview experience like this: "Within five minutes of Jobs interviewing me, I decided to join Apple. My intuition tells me that joining Apple and working for a creative genius is the only chance in my life. "
Subsequently, Cook resigned from Compaq as Apple's senior vice president, in charge of Apple's operations and computer manufacturing business.
After Cook entered Apple, the first thing he did was to clean up the chaotic operation with Jobs, while Cook focused on the inventory problem. He also gained the respect of Jobs by shortening the inventory, and then gained a firm foothold in Apple.
Cook persuaded many suppliers to move their websites near Apple, reducing the number of major suppliers from more than 65,438+000 to 24. This not only saves the cost, but also shortens the inventory cycle. In addition, he also closed Apple's factories and warehouses around the world. 19 Warehouse closed 10. By the end of the year, the inventory cycle was shortened to one month.
Finally, Apple made a profit of $45 million this quarter through measures such as layoffs, streamlining product lines and shortening inventory.
1September, 1998, the inventory cycle was shortened to 6 days, which was equivalent to the commodity value of 78 million dollars. This is 5.6 times less than the two-month inventory and 437 million inventory when Jobs took over. This year, it achieved a profit of 309 million US dollars.
By the end of 1999, the inventory cycle was compressed to 20 million dollars in two days. Under Cook's management, Apple was rated as the second best in global supply chain management by AMR Research, even higher than the famous Dell.
In 2000, Jobs handed over Apple's global computer sales and customer support department to Cook, who became a hot figure.
In management, Cook and Jobs are exactly the same and very strict. Once an order is given, it must be carried out immediately.
At a meeting at the beginning of his tenure, Cook heard that one of the company's suppliers in China had a problem. He said, "This is too bad. Someone should go to China to deal with this matter immediately. " After 30 minutes, he looked at an operation supervisor sitting in front of him and said with a straight face, "Why haven't you left yet?" The supervisor stood up, drove directly to San Francisco without any luggage, and bought a plane ticket to China. Later, he also became Cook's first deputy.
Jobs often has a lot of whimsy, but it is rarely recognized by others, but Cook can often respond to him. In many ways, his views are strikingly consistent with Jobs.
Cook is extremely self-disciplined: get up at 4: 30 in the morning, send and receive emails, then go to the gym 1 hour, and arrive at the office just after 6: 00. A conference call should be arranged every Sunday evening to prepare for next week's work.
Cook is more easygoing and will go to the canteen with employees, which Jobs can't do.
Cook also took good care of the company during Jobs' illness. He won't be arbitrary, and he will often report to Steve Jobs.
At the same time, Cook knew that Jobs didn't like being upstaged, so he avoided appearing in the public eye. When Jobs returned to the company after his illness, he returned to his previous job and still calmly faced Jobs' anger.
Jobs told biographer walter isaacson about Tim Cook: "He is bold and calm, and we think alike, so we can interact at a high-level strategic level. I am forgetful. He always reminds me. He is better at negotiation than I am. But Tim himself is not a product manufacturer. "