Tim Cook Named 'CEO of the Year' by CNN

tim_cook_time_photoCNN has named Tim Cook as "CEO of the Year" for 2014, pointing towards a hefty rise in stock price and some record-breaking product launches as the main reasons behind the award. Cook sits in first place ahead of a number of other high-profile CEOs, including John Chen of BlackBerry, Mary Barra of GM, and Meg Whitman of HP.

Though CNN mainly points to Apple being the "apple of Wall Street's eye again," with its stock up 40 percent this year, individual factors contributing to the rising stock price are taken into account as well.

CNN argues Cook did "an amazing job" this year, ushering the company through major events such as the successful launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, as well as the growing ubiquity of Apple Pay. The crescendo of excitement surrounding the Apple Watch's launch in early 2015 is also cited as a big win for the Apple CEO.

Cook has arguably the toughest CEO job in America. He's had to convince skeptics that Apple can still innovate after the death of Steve Jobs. He's proven all the naysayers wrong.

CNN's CEO of the Year isn't the only award Cook will walk away with this year. Earlier in December, he received the Financial Time's "Person of the Year" award, which cited similar reasons for the award, namely proving Apple can succeed in the wake of Steve Jobs' passing and his infusion of new and fresh ideas into the company. Cook was also nominated for TIME's 2014 "Person of the Year" award, but ultimately lost out to the Ebola Fighters.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

New iPhone 17 Pro Details: Brighter Display, Best Battery Life, and More

Wednesday September 3, 2025 5:33 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will feature a number of significant display, thermal, and battery improvements, according to new late-stage rumors. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature displays with higher brightness, making it more suitable for use in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The iPhone 16 Pro and...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Tuesday September 2, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Just one week before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series, an analyst has shared new price estimates for the devices. Here are J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee's price estimates for the iPhone 17 series in the United States, according to 9to5Mac: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 16 $799 iPhone 17 ...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Coming Next Week: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Thursday September 4, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
We're only days away from Apple's "Awe dropping" fall event scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for...

Top Rated Comments

MacVista Avatar
140 months ago
For soldering RAM to motherboards and making Apple HW disposable :apple:
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
steve333 Avatar
140 months ago
Well, the company is certainly making money but the OS is a disaster and he managed to piss off thousands of people with the Mac Mini soldered RAM and pathetic 'upgrade'.
Hope he gets his act together
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
technopimp Avatar
140 months ago
For soldering RAM to motherboards and making Apple HW disposable :apple:

All about that profit margin. But if I wanted to pile on,

Aggressively pushing software releases that weren't ready or tested

Pushing his own personal agenda on behalf of the company

"THINNER IS BETTER"
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tubamajuba Avatar
140 months ago
For soldering RAM to motherboards and making Apple HW disposable :apple:

Well, the company is certainly making money but the OS is a disaster and he managed to piss off thousands of people with the Mac Mini soldered RAM and pathetic 'upgrade'.
Hope he gets his act together

All about that profit margin. But if I wanted to pile on,

Aggressively pushing software releases that weren't ready or tested

Pushing his own personal agenda on behalf of the company

"THINNER IS BETTER"

This exemplifies how out of touch MacRumors users are with the rest of the world.

Keep them coming.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tigres Avatar
140 months ago
iPhone 6,+ win
iPhone 6 plus +win
applepay, +win
iPad Air 2 +win
iMac 5k +win

iOS 8 -Fail
Yosemite, -problematic
Mac Mini -fail
iCloud -fail
iCloud drive -fail
iPad Mini 3 -fail
No Apple TV updates -fail
iPhotos (or lack thereof) -fail

;)
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spectrumfox Avatar
140 months ago
Why do I get the uncomfortable suspicion that one of the reasons why he was awarded this was because he came out publically?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)