Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down for a 45-minute interview on the BBC Sounds podcast, Dua Lipa: At Your Service hosted by singer Dua Lipa. During the interview, Cook was asked about whether plans were in place for who would take his position when he stepped down.
Cook admitted that he does not know how long he will remain at Apple, Apple has “very detailed” succession plans in place for when the time comes to replace him as chief executive of the company. Cook also said he has no intention of going anywhere just yet.
“I love it,” said Cook. “I can’t envision my life without being there, so I’ll be there for a while.”
“We’re a company that believes in working on succession plans, so we have very detailed succession plans. Because something unpredictable can always happen. I could step off the wrong curb tomorrow. Hopefully that doesn’t happen, I pray that it doesn’t.”
Dua Lipa: “Are you able to say who is in line for succession?”
“I can’t say that, but I would say that my job is to prepare several people for the ability to succeed, and I really want the person to come from within Apple, the next CEO. So that’s my role: That there’s several for the board to pick from.”
Cook also shared what a day in his life is like, while also sharing his experience growing up in a blue-collar family in Alabama, and discussed how his career ultimately brought him to Apple.
Cook also discussed other subjects besides himself, discussing Apple’s environmental sustainability efforts, his thoughts on the excessive use of smartphones, the value of equal representation, artificial intelligence, and more.
The full interview can be seen above or on YouTube.
