Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down after 15 years at the helm, concluding a 28-year legacy at the company. Cook joined Apple in 1998 after being recruited by Steve Jobs, who had just returned to save the struggling company. At the time, Cook was vice president for corporate materials at Compaq, having previously spent over a decade at IBM.

Cook's operational expertise proved instrumental in Apple's turnaround. He revolutionized Apple's manufacturing approach by shifting from owning factories to contract manufacturing, particularly with Chinese assembly partners. This strategic move allowed Apple to hold inventory for shorter periods and adapt to new technologies more rapidly. Cook also drove intense negotiations with suppliers to minimize manufacturing costs while maintaining high-quality standards.

Under Cook's leadership, Apple's market capitalization exploded from $348 billion in 2011 to over $3 trillion by January 2022. The company became the first U.S. firm to reach the trillion-dollar milestone in August 2018, then $1.5 trillion in June 2020, and $2 trillion that August. Cook's tenure saw Apple cross 1 billion active iPhones and make strategic acquisitions like Dialog Semiconductor for $600 million and PrimeSense for $360 million, bringing key technologies in-house.