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Steve Jobs resigned as Apple’s CEO on August 24, 2011, saying he could no longer meet the role’s duties and expectations. He recommended that Apple carry out its succession plan by naming Tim Cook, then chief operating officer, as his successor. Apple’s board appointed Cook CEO, made Jobs chairman, and added Cook to the board, effective immediately.
When did Steve Jobs resign as Apple CEO?
Apple announced the transition on August 24, 2011. The company said Jobs had resigned as chief executive and that the board had named Cook CEO, effective immediately. Apple also announced that Jobs would become chairman and Cook would join the board. The company’s announcement and its SEC-filed Form 8-K document the change.
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Why did Steve Jobs resign as CEO?
In a letter addressed to Apple’s board and community, Jobs said he could no longer meet the duties and expectations of Apple’s CEO. “Unfortunately, that day has come,” he wrote. Jobs did not give a fuller explanation in the letter. The available corporate records establish his stated reason, but do not provide a complete medical timeline or detail the private conversations behind the decision.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Jobs said he wanted to remain involved as chairman, director, and employee if the board considered that appropriate. He then recommended that Apple implement its succession plan and name Cook CEO. His letter is available in Apple’s contemporaneous announcement.
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Who replaced Steve Jobs as Apple CEO?
Tim Cook replaced Jobs. At the time, Cook was Apple’s chief operating officer. Apple’s announcement said Cook had served the company for 13 years and cited his responsibility for worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end supply-chain management, sales, service, and support. It also noted that he had led the Macintosh division. Those are Apple’s descriptions of Cook’s experience in its 2011 release.
Apple’s board expressed confidence in the appointment. Art Levinson, then chairman of Genentech and speaking for Apple’s board, said: “The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did Tim Cook become Apple CEO?
Jobs explicitly recommended Cook, but the formal appointment was made by Apple’s board. The SEC filing records Jobs’s resignation, his appointment as chairman, and the board’s appointment of COO Timothy D. Cook as CEO. It also records Cook’s appointment to fill an existing vacancy on the board.
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- Jobs resigned: His letter said he could no longer meet the CEO role’s duties and expectations.
- Jobs recommended his successor: He called for Apple to execute its succession plan and name Cook CEO.
- The board acted: It appointed Cook CEO, appointed Jobs chairman, and added Cook to the board, effective immediately.
The public documents confirm that Jobs referred to an existing succession plan, but they do not say when it was created, which alternatives the board considered, or what private deliberations took place.
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