Cook's Apple Is Streamlined, Friendlier

But he's 'not a product guy'
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 2, 2011 10:31 AM CDT
Cook's Apple Is Streamlined, Friendlier
Apple CEO Tim Cook talks about new products during an announcement at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Tim Cook is already, if not remaking, at least tweaking Apple in his image. He’s been streamlining Apple’s corporate structure and changing some of its corporate philosophies, the Wall Street Journal reports. He has, for example, announced that Apple will now match employee donations to charities and nonprofits up to $10,000, something Steve Jobs always opposed. He’s also announced that he’s open to things like stock buybacks that were verboten under Jobs.

Cook operates differently than Jobs—he communicates more with employees (in some cases, via company-wide emails addressed to the "team"), is more open with shareholders, and focuses on administrative details his predecessor disdained, like promotions and reporting structures. "Steve thought he had all the answers,” says one analyst. “I am not sure Tim thinks he has all the answers." Another major difference: Many colleagues say Cook is "not a product guy." Once, when an employee presented a new service to him, he replied, "Tell me again how this helps me sell more phones." (More Tim Cook stories.)

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