COMMENTARY | Time Techland reports Steve Jobs has resigned his duties as CEO of Apple, selecting Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook to take over. Jobs has been on medical leave since January of 2011 due to health issues related to his battle with pancreatic cancer, which he has suffered from for years. Here are three things I find notable about Jobs’ resignation as the CEO of Apple.
One thing I find notable about this decision is that Jobs is not giving up his career at Apple really at all; he is just not going to be the CEO anymore. Jobs wanted to become chairman of the board and director, so that is exactly what he has become now. Jobs will still be investing a lot of time and inspiration into the Apple products and designs through his new job. Jobs realized that his health issues had decreased his ability to run as the CEO effectively, so the right thing to do was hand over the job to someone else. Jobs is not giving up on Apple and Apple still wants Jobs to be a member of the team, which is why his wish to become chairman was fulfilled.
I also find it very interesting that Cook was announced to be the new CEO of Apple because he was the man who replaced Jobs while he was on his two previous medical leaves. Although he is not Jobs, Cook has still performed as CEO very well and is also a face customers know. I am actually happy that Cook was picked by Jobs to replace him because of the fact that customers like me have already been introduced to him in the past. I think Jobs had to have been thinking about his customer base when he chose Cook; it means another familiar face will be presenting the new Apple gadgets.
I also find it interesting that Jobs made this announcement seven months into his second medical leave. Jobs would not give up his position without a clear sign that something was amiss with his health. To me this symbolizes that maybe Jobs is not in good health, and he wanted to ensure that he was able to pick the guy he wanted to hand the reins to before anything bad happened to him. I think this shows that he can put the company’s interest above his own and step down so that someone without all of these medical issues can serve the company’s interest.
Matt Peckham, “End of an Era: Apple’s Steve Jobs Steps Down, Tim Cook Steps Up”, Time Magazine