Cook: I'm not meddling in the new Apple CEO's work
Former Apple chief Tim Cook told The Independent he is not interfering in the work of new CEO John Ternus. He stressed mutual trust and frequent communication between them.
Tim Cook left the post of Apple CEO in September and became executive chairman. He handed the top job to John Ternus, the company's former hardware chief. Cook remains a visible face of the company, and was recently photographed at a state dinner at the White House.
In an interview with The Independent, Cook said he is not meddling in Ternus' work. In his words, the relationship has to rest on trust, and communication has to be frequent and substantive. His own focus at present is worldwide policy and dealings with governments, since the company is trying to advance or advocate for change on a number of issues. He also helps Ternus whenever Ternus sees fit. "I'm not meddling. I'm not a meddler," Cook said.
Advice to his successor
Cook revealed that he has told Ternus to make the job his own and to spend his time on the things where he can add the most value around the company. That means not copying Cook, just as Cook did not copy Steve Jobs, because everyone has different strengths. Bloomberg recently reported that Ternus gave staff a similar message, saying he needs to spend his time where he can add the most value for Apple.
Planning the handover
Cook said he wanted the leadership change to be "the best transition ever," a textbook example people could look back on and learn from. According to him, the transition actually began years ago, and everything has gone roughly as he had envisioned. Ternus introduced the iPhone Duo only days after taking over, and Cook said he wanted Ternus to have "some wind at his back."
