Tim Cook, who is entering his last weeks as Apple CEO, made remarkable statements about how he wants his years at the company to be remembered as he prepares to hand over his position to John Ternus on September 1. Speaking to CBS News, Cook said that while it will be up to others to define his own legacy, he hopes people will remember him as a “good, decent person.” According to Cook, at the end of the day, being remembered in this way will mean that he has achieved something for himself. In addition to Apple’s management change, the recent price increases reflected in iPhone, iPad, Mac and other products were also brought up in the interview. Apple Operations Director Sabih Khan pointed out the extraordinary increase in the cost of memory components in a short time.
The interview with CBS News’ Jo Ling Kent coincided with Apple opening its new Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston. Kent asked Cook what, in one word, he thinks he represents when he looks back on his time as CEO. Cook, on the other hand, directly described the question as a “legacy” question and said that a person’s own legacy will be defined by others, not by himself. For this reason, he did not choose to describe his tenure in terms of a specific product, financial success or corporate transformation. Cook’s response was an evaluation that put personal values ahead of company performance at the end of his long period at the helm of Apple.
Apple management passes to John Ternus after Tim Cook
Tim Cook’s tenure as Apple CEO has been one of the longest and most comprehensive management periods in the company’s history. During the Cook period, which took over as CEO in August 2011 after Steve Jobs, Apple expanded its existing product groups such as iPhone and Mac, while also entering new hardware categories such as Apple Watch, AirPods and Vision Pro. In addition, the services business has reached a more prominent position in the company’s revenue structure with the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, Apple TV and other subscriptions. Along with the transition to Apple Silicon, the switch from Intel processors to the company’s own designed chips in Mac computers was one of the technically prominent changes of the Cook era. However, it was noteworthy that Cook did not place any of these products or financial indicators at the center of his legacy in his response to CBS News.
John Ternus, who will take over the CEO seat on September 1, has been working in hardware engineering at Apple for a long time. Ternus has become more visible, especially in recent years, in the promotions of the company’s Mac, iPad and other important hardware products. The change in management comes at a time when Apple is facing competition in the field of artificial intelligence, rising product prices and cost pressures in the supply chain. Therefore, Ternus will not only have to manage the current product portfolio, but also shape the path the company will follow regarding Apple Intelligence and future hardware categories. After Cook’s long term as CEO, the management’s transition to someone trained within the company may help maintain operational continuity.
Another topic of the interview was the latest price increases in Apple products. When asked about the rise in prices of iPhone, iPad, Mac and other products, Apple Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan particularly drew attention to memory costs. According to Khan, the price of memory components is rising at an unprecedented rate in a very short time, and Apple is not exempt from this cost pressure. Stating that the company is looking for ways to reduce the effects of this situation with its supply chain partners, Khan pointed out that the price pressure is not limited to a single product category. This rise makes cost management more difficult across Apple’s broad hardware portfolio, as memory costs directly impact a wide range of electronic products, from smartphones to personal computers.
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