Tim Cook Turns 65, but Don’t Expect Him to Pass the Torch Just Yet

Tim Cook assumed the position of Apple CEO back in 2011 following the resignation of the company’s co-founder and former CEO, Steve Jobs. This means that Cook has held the position for a good 14 years and counting. There have been talks about who his successor is, but it seems we might have to wait a bit longer.

Apple CEO Tim Cook isn’t going anywhere anytime soon

According to a report from Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter, it seems that Apple CEO Tim Cook isn’t leaving his position anytime soon. For starters, Gurman acknowledges Cook’s age and how he turns 65 this year. However, he also notes that Cook has quite a bit of staying power.

Gurman compares Cook to other long-time CEOs at other companies. “Despite being mired in Apple’s biggest crisis in years — its artificial intelligence debacle — Cook has earned staying power akin to other captains of industry. Think of Bob Iger, the 74-year-old CEO of Walt Disney Co., or Jamie Dimon, the 69-year-old leader of JPMorgan Chase & Co.”

He also mentions in his report that internally, there are no signs that suggest Cook is planning to leave or has begun the process of grooming a replacement. Of course, there is a possibility that Gurman is wrong, but the journalist has an excellent track record for insider info. So, there’s a chance that he could be right as well.

Who will eventually succeed Cook?

Even though Cook might not be retiring anytime soon, he eventually will. This leaves us with the question of who will eventually assume the role of Apple CEO? It was initially thought that COO Jeff Williams could become Apple’s CEO. However, Williams recently announced his own retirement, which clearly takes him out of the running.

Plus, as Gurman notes in his report, many of Apple’s executives are in their 60s. While this suggests they are experienced, their role as CEO might not last long. Apple’s board of directors will probably want to look at the long-term future.

One possibility is that John Ternus, Apple’s chief of hardware engineering, could eventually succeed Cook. Ternus is currently 50 years old. Assuming that Cook retires in the next 5 years, it would still make him relatively young enough to be Apple’s next CEO. A recent article by Leander Kahney at Cult of Mac highlighted how Ternus’ career at Apple mirrors that of Cook.

He has assumed many positions at the company. This gives him a lot of experience in the internal workings of Apple, making him a prime candidate. All of this remains to be seen. But for now, Cook isn’t going anywhere.