Outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook held an all-hands meeting at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park and spoke to employees alongside John Ternus, his newly appointed successor. In what may be the last important internal speech of his tenure, Cook rarely reviewed the achievements and setbacks of his 15 years as CEO: He regarded the disastrous launch of Apple Maps in 2012 as “the first major failure after taking office”, and the health and life-saving functions of Apple Watch as his “proudest achievement.”
The Biggest Failure of a CEO’s Career: Lessons from Apple Maps
In 2012, Apple officially replaced Google Maps with its own Apple Maps in iOS 6. However, it immediately triggered a large-scale user backlash after it was launched. The initial map information was full of errors, confusing map display, incorrect place names and other major problems. Cook, who had only been CEO for only one year at the time, was forced to issue a statement.public apology, and in a rare move, recommended that users temporarily switch to Google Maps.
At the all-hands meeting, Cook admitted: “Apple Maps was launched before it was ready at all. We originally thought it would not be a big problem because we were testing more localized elements.” He described this as “the first really big mistake after taking office”, but also emphasized that this failure “eventually became a very valuable experience.”
Cook added that if he were to list all the mistakes he had made, “it would be an incredibly long list,” but he also pointed out that Apple has generally avoided major product recalls or discontinuations such as product recalls or discontinuations that other consumer electronics companies have often encountered in the past 15 years.
Proudest achievement: Apple Watch saving lives
When asked about his proudest achievement during his tenure, Cook didn’t mention iPhone sales or Apple’s sky-high market capitalization, pointing instead to the Apple Watch’s health features.
He recalled the first time he received a letter from an Apple Watch user saying that the watch saved his life: “That letter particularly touched me.” Although he receives similar messages every day now, the first shock is still unforgettable. Apple Watch initially only equipped heart rate monitoring functions in 2014, and has gradually developed into comprehensive health protection such as high blood pressure detection, electrocardiogram, fall detection, and blood oxygen monitoring. It has become the most important medical and health device in the Apple ecosystem.
Cook’s health and reasons for handover
In response to outside rumors about his health, Cook clearly denied during the meeting: “I am healthy and energetic. I will be in this new role (referring to chairman) for a long time.”
Regarding why he chose to hand over the baton at this time, Cook explained that the goal he is pursuing is “the best transition ever”, and for this, three conditions must be met: Apple’s product roadmap is “amazing”, its financial situation is “extremely strong”, and successor Ternus is “fully prepared to take on this role.” He believes that now is the moment when all three conditions are met simultaneously.
The John Ternus era: Hardware engineers take the helm
Cook praised Ternus: “John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and honor.” Ternus joined Apple in 2001 and has served in the product design team, AirPods, iPad, and Mac development. He has been responsible for iPhone development since 2020, and was promoted to senior vice president of hardware engineering in 2021. He has recently led MacBook Neo development.
Ternus also gave a speech at the all-staff meeting: “I am particularly excited to take over this role at this time, because we are about to change the world again.” He emphasized that design is the “core” of Apple and Apple will continue to focus on design.
With Ternus being promoted to CEO, Johny Srouji, who led the development of Apple Silicon, was appointed as the “Chief Hardware Officer”, taking charge of both the hardware engineering and hardware technology departments.
The beginning of Apple’s next new era
Cook was personally recruited by Steve Jobs to join Apple in 1998, and worked his way from vice president of global operations to CEO. During his tenure, Cook pushed Apple’s market value to a historical peak. He will officially hand over the baton to Ternus on September 1 and become chairman. This all-hands meeting was not only a summary of his 15-year CEO career, but also the beginning of Apple’s next era.
Source: KOCPC Chinese