Tim Cook, born November 1, 1960, in Mobile or Robertsdale, Alabama, is an American business executive and the chief executive officer (CEO) of Apple Inc. since August 2011, succeeding co-founder Steve Jobs.[1][3][5] He holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University (1982) and an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.[3][7] Cook began his career at IBM (1982-1994), followed by roles at Intelligent Electronics and Compaq (1994-1997).[3][6][7] He joined Apple in March 1998 as senior vice president of worldwide operations during a period of financial distress, where he streamlined the supply chain, slashing inventory from 30 days to 6 days and enabling profitability.[1][2][4] Promoted to executive vice president of worldwide sales and operations in 2002, he became chief operating officer (COO) in 2005, overseeing global sales, supply chain, and the Macintosh division while serving as interim CEO during Jobs's medical leaves.[1][3][4][5] As CEO, Cook has driven Apple's expansion beyond hardware, launching the Apple Watch (2015), AirPods (2016), and services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Pay, and iCloud subscription bundles.[1][2][7] He spearheaded the 2014 Beats acquisition, emphasized privacy as a core strategy, advanced environmental goals including carbon neutrality and recycled materials, and introduced proprietary Apple silicon chips in 2020 for greater production control.[1][2] Under his leadership, Apple achieved unprecedented growth, becoming the world's first trillion-dollar company.[8] Cook serves on Apple's board of directors and is recognized for operational expertise, philanthropy, social justice advocacy, and environmental commitment.[3][4] His methodical style has sustained innovation while broadening markets in regions like China and India.[2][3]