苹
果公司(Apple Inc.)病中的首席执行长乔布斯(Steve Jobs)即将正式离任。这个历史性转变将公司大权转到首席运营长库克(Tim Cook)手中。苹果公司说，乔布斯周三向董事会递交辞呈，并"强烈建议"董事会任命库克为他的继任者。该公司说，乔布斯已被选为董事长，库克将加入董事会并立即生效。
生物工程公司Genentech董事长、苹果公司董事列文森(Art Levinson)发表声明说，董事会完全相信库克是担任下任CEO的合适人选。他还说，乔布斯将继续以其独特眼光、创造性和灵感为苹果公司服务。
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
乔布斯的这些年
乔布斯在辞职信里说，我一直说，如果有一天我再也不能履行作为苹果CEO的职责并满足人们对这个角色的期望，我会第一个告诉你们；不幸的是，这一天已经到来。
乔布斯苹果帝国十年扩张路
据知情人士透露，乔布斯继续积极参与苹果的事务，密切参与公司的产品战略。苹果观察人士预计，即使是在库克接任首席执行长之后，情况也不会改变。
相关报道
斯坦福大学商学研究生院管理专家奥莱利(Charles O'Reilly)说，伟大的公司很少长盛不衰。他还说，苹果面临一项特别的挑战，因为乔布斯对苹果的公司文化建设和战略制定有着异常强大的影响。
库克是亚拉巴马州人，此前曾供职于国际商业机器公司(IBM)和康柏电脑公司(Compaq Computer Corp.)。他被认为是一个运营天才，帮助苹果消除了制造业务中的低效并在华建立了供应链。此后，他逐渐增加了担负的责任，2005年成为首席运营长。过去乔布斯不在公司的时候，他还精干地领导着公司。
不过，了解他的人认为他不是一个有远见的人。与善于表现的传奇人物乔布斯不同的是，库克还常常置身公众关注的焦点之外，只是与分析师们就季度收益举行电话会议。
乔布斯写道，我相信苹果会迎来最光辉、最富创新的未来，同时我也希望以一个新的角色见证苹果的成功并为之贡献一己之力。
他还说，我的人生至交有一些就是在苹果结识的，能与大家共事这么多年，我感谢你们。
Yukari Iwatani Kane
（更新完成）
（本文版权归道琼斯公司所有，未经许可不得翻译或转载。）
Apple Inc.'s ailing chief executive Steve Jobs is officially stepping down from the helm of the company, an historic shift that hands the reins to chief operating officer Tim Cook.
The company said Mr. Jobs submitted his resignation to the board of directors on Wednesday and 'strongly recommended' that the board name Mr. Cook as his successor. Mr. Jobs has been elected chairman of the board and Mr. Cook will join the board, effective immediately, the company said.
'The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO,' said Art Levinson, chairman of Genentech and Apple board member, in a statement. He added that Mr. Jobs will 'continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration.'
Mr. Cook, 50, has been widely considered as the leading candidate to succeed Mr. Jobs, who has been on medical leave since January. The 13-year Apple veteran, who joined the company shortly after Mr. Jobs took over the company for the second time in 1997, has been running the day to day operations during this period as he has done during two prior medical leaves of absence by Mr. Jobs in the last seven years.
'I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know,' Mr. Jobs said in his resignation letter. 'Unfortunately, that day has come.'
The timing of the announcement, however, was a surprise and raised questions about the health of Mr. Jobs, who was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant two years ago. Mr. Jobs has not commented on his health since he said in a letter in January that he was taking another leave of absence to 'focus on my health'. He made an appearance at the launch of the iPad 2 in March and Apple's annual developers' conference in June but appeared thin both times.
People familiar with the situation have said that Mr. Jobs continues to be active at Apple and is closely involved in the company's product strategy. Apple watchers don't expect that to change even after Mr. Cook takes over.
Still, Mr. Cook faces a big challenge in stepping into Mr. Jobs's shoes because he must prove that Apple can succeed without Mr. Jobs. Mr. Jobs not only co-founded the company, but brought Apple back from near bankruptcy when he returned to the company in 1997. He is considered the visionary behind the company and has played a key role in reviving the Macintosh computer business and developing new products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad.
'Great companies rarely go from strength to strength,' said Charles O'Reilly, a management expert, at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, adding that Apple faces a particular challenge in that Mr. Jobs has had an unusually strong influence in setting Apple's corporate culture and strategy.
Mr. Cook, an Alabama native who previously worked for International Business Machines Corp. and Compaq Computer Corp., is known as an operational genius, who was instrumental in wringing out inefficiencies in Apple's manufacturing and setting up its supply chain in China. Since then he has gradually increased his responsibilities, becoming chief operating officer in 2005. He has also ably led the company during Mr. Jobs's absences in the past.
But people who know him don't consider him to be a visionary. Unlike Mr. Jobs, who is a legendary showman, Mr. Cook has also tended to stay outside of the spotlight apart from quarterly earnings calls with analysts.
'I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it,' Mr. Jobs wrote. 'And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
'I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you,' he added.
Yukari Iwatani Kane
The company said Mr. Jobs submitted his resignation to the board of directors on Wednesday and 'strongly recommended' that the board name Mr. Cook as his successor. Mr. Jobs has been elected chairman of the board and Mr. Cook will join the board, effective immediately, the company said.
'The Board has complete confidence that Tim is the right person to be our next CEO,' said Art Levinson, chairman of Genentech and Apple board member, in a statement. He added that Mr. Jobs will 'continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration.'
Mr. Cook, 50, has been widely considered as the leading candidate to succeed Mr. Jobs, who has been on medical leave since January. The 13-year Apple veteran, who joined the company shortly after Mr. Jobs took over the company for the second time in 1997, has been running the day to day operations during this period as he has done during two prior medical leaves of absence by Mr. Jobs in the last seven years.
'I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know,' Mr. Jobs said in his resignation letter. 'Unfortunately, that day has come.'
The timing of the announcement, however, was a surprise and raised questions about the health of Mr. Jobs, who was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant two years ago. Mr. Jobs has not commented on his health since he said in a letter in January that he was taking another leave of absence to 'focus on my health'. He made an appearance at the launch of the iPad 2 in March and Apple's annual developers' conference in June but appeared thin both times.
People familiar with the situation have said that Mr. Jobs continues to be active at Apple and is closely involved in the company's product strategy. Apple watchers don't expect that to change even after Mr. Cook takes over.
Still, Mr. Cook faces a big challenge in stepping into Mr. Jobs's shoes because he must prove that Apple can succeed without Mr. Jobs. Mr. Jobs not only co-founded the company, but brought Apple back from near bankruptcy when he returned to the company in 1997. He is considered the visionary behind the company and has played a key role in reviving the Macintosh computer business and developing new products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad.
'Great companies rarely go from strength to strength,' said Charles O'Reilly, a management expert, at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, adding that Apple faces a particular challenge in that Mr. Jobs has had an unusually strong influence in setting Apple's corporate culture and strategy.
Mr. Cook, an Alabama native who previously worked for International Business Machines Corp. and Compaq Computer Corp., is known as an operational genius, who was instrumental in wringing out inefficiencies in Apple's manufacturing and setting up its supply chain in China. Since then he has gradually increased his responsibilities, becoming chief operating officer in 2005. He has also ably led the company during Mr. Jobs's absences in the past.
But people who know him don't consider him to be a visionary. Unlike Mr. Jobs, who is a legendary showman, Mr. Cook has also tended to stay outside of the spotlight apart from quarterly earnings calls with analysts.
'I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it,' Mr. Jobs wrote. 'And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
'I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you,' he added.
Yukari Iwatani Kane
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