What was Tim Cook like before he became Apple CEO?

Much has been said about it Tim CookApple’s visionary CEO who led the Cupertino company to become the world’s first company to reach $3 trillion, is now considering a possible renewal.

But who was Tim Cook before he became Apple’s CEO? In particular, who was Tim Cook before working at IBM and Compaq? What was Tim Cook like before he turned pro? The answer, or part of it, lies in the neighbors who saw him growing up in RobertsdaleAlabama, where Cook returns on vacation from time to time.

“Ordinary boy”

Tim Cook was born on November 1, 1960 in Mobile, Alabama. He was 11 years old when his parents moved to the nearby town of Robertsdale. That was in 1971 and the city’s population was only about 2,000 people. In this homey town, young Cook’s neighbors began to see the potential of what would become the leader of one of the world’s most valuable companies.

Several neighbors, who requested to remain anonymous, said that from a young age, Cook showed great talent for studies. The student did not achieve the best grades of his generation, but he always ranked higher. No one remembers him for any particular aspect. He was just a normal kid who tried hard in school.

By the end of the 1970s, Cook had to move, although remaining in his native Alabama, to study industrial engineering at Auburn University. Here the story of the “ordinary boy” is repeated, who tried hard to get good grades, but did not excel in any particular aspect. However, his colleagues remember him as a charismatic man, a quality he retains to this day. They remember that he would do well, but no one imagined that he would end up leading one of the most valuable companies in the world.

Until Apple arrived

After graduating as an industrial engineer in 1982, Cook worked He started his career at International Business Machines Corporation, known as IBM. He worked there from 1982 to 1994, his last position being director of shipping for North America. During that time, in 1988, he graduated with an MBA from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. If during his youth Cook demonstrated academic commitment, his professional education only confirmed his perseverance.

After leaving IBM, Cook joined the ranks of Compaq Computer Corporation in 1997, his shortest stay to date, as in 1998 he joined Apple as Vice President of International Operations. A year ago, Steve Jobs returned to Apple. It was a duo of silent synergies, but the genius of Jobs and Cook’s work to fine-tune Apple’s production chain was key to making products like the iMac, iPod, and iPhone full-fledged successes.

By 2000, Cook had risen to the position of vice president of international operations, and two years later he was responsible for worldwide operations and sales. When Jobs had to take a leave of absence from his position as CEO to treat cancer, Jobs took over the position on an interim basis and in 2005 permanently.

To this day, Cook often returns on vacation to Robertsdale, the city where he grew up. There is a kind of legend that even has a memorial day, and Mr. Timothy D. Cook dey, which is celebrated on December 10. However, his neighbors, who remember him as an ordinary man, continue to treat him as an ordinary man whose visits usually go unnoticed.

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