Apple CEO Tim Cook made history before unexpectedly stepping down after 15 years
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Prior to stepping down from his role as Apple's CEO, Tim Cook achieved an industry first.
News of the 65-year-old's resignation broke yesterday (20 Apr), almost three decades after Cook first joined the global tech company as a senior vice president for worldwide operations.
Not long after joining in 1998, Cook rose through the ranks, becoming VP for worldwide sales and operations in 2007. In 2011, following the resignation of Apple's founder, Steve Jobs, he was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the company.
The years that followed saw the Alabama-local double both Apple's revenue and profit, sending the firm's market value from an impressive $343 billion to an incomprehensible $1.9 trillion in just 15 years.
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Cook also famously used his powerful position to champion reform in international and domestic surveillance industries, as well as in cybersecurity, national manufacturing and environmental preservation.
Prior to achieving these almighty feats, however, the outgoing CEO made history in a different way.
In being given the high-profile role, he became the first publicly gay Chief Executive Officer of a Fortune 500 firm.
This described an annual list compiled by Fortune magazine, ranking the 500 largest United States corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The compilation acts as a premier indicator of business success and economic power, covering public and private companies.
Cook came out in 2014 in a self-composed Bloomberg Businessweek article, writing: "While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now.
"So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me."
He added at the time: "Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. It’s made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life.
"It’s been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry. It’s also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you’re the CEO of Apple."
The announcement was made just days after the tech boss publicly criticised his home state's hesitation in giving equal rights to its LGBTQ+ citizens.
"As a state, we took too long to step toward equality," Cook had declared. "We were too slow on equality for African-Americans. We were too slow on interracial marriage, and we are still too slow for the equality for the LGBT community."
Weeks earlier, he'd also attended San Francisco's gay pride parade along with a delegation of Apple staff.
Confirming his resignation this week, Cook revealed that he'd be replaced by Apple's head of hardware engineering, John Ternus, from 1 September.
"I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world," he said in his official statement.
"John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honour."
Cook went on to describe Ternus, 50, as a 'visionary' who has served 25 years at the company.
"He is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future," he gushed. "I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman."
Chiming in, Ternus claimed: "I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward. Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been lucky to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as my mentor.
"It has been a privilege to help shape the products and experiences that have changed so much of how we interact with the world and with one another."
He added: "I am filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come, and I am so happy to know that the most talented people on earth are here at Apple, determined to be part of something bigger than any one of us.
"I am humbled to step into this role, and I promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century."