Time Magazine heeft de jaarlijkse lijst van 100 meest invloedrijke mensen ter wereld gepubliceerd, en daarop staat Tim Cook op de eerste plaats bij de categorie 'Titans'.

Dat is niet alleen vanwege het succes van Apple, maar ook door de manier waarop Tim Cook volgens Time Magazine staat voor ethische standaarden en de manier waarop hij de bestaande situatie durft uit te dagen ("challenges the status quo").

Dat, en meer, komt naar voren bij de tekst die Bob Iger over hem schreef. Bob Iger is trouwens de CEO van Disney, een bedrijf dat al een hele tijd nauwe banden met Apple heeft. Dit is trouwens altijd de aanpak bij deze lijst van Time Magazine, de teksten over de mensen in de lijst worden altijd geschreven door iemand die de persoon waar het om gaat goed kent.

Apple's core


Apple is known for elegant, innovative products that change the world by transforming how we connect, create and communicate, as well as how we work, think and act. Its continued success requires a leader of great courage and character who demands excellence, upholds the highest ethical standards and routinely challenges the status quo, including encouraging vital conversations about who we are as a culture and a community.

Tim Cook is that kind of leader.

Behind his soft-spoken demeanor and Southern manners is a focused fearlessness that comes from deep personal conviction. Tim is committed to doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time and for the right reasons. As CEO, he's led Apple to new heights, and he continues to build a global brand that is universally recognized as an industry leader and widely respected for its values.

Naast Tim Cook staat er trouwens ook iemand uit Nederland op de lijst. In de lijst van de 'Leaders' komen we ook koningin Maxima tegen, geschreven door Tilman Ehrbeck van Omidyar Network.

Envoy for opportunity

Argentine-born and a banker by training, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands early on embraced economic empowerment as her cause.

In developing countries in particular, poorer families live uncertain lives and work in the informal economy—not by choice, but by necessity. They need access to financial services to lower their vulnerability and increase their opportunities. Yet when Queen Máxima started working on financial inclusion, more than half of working-age adults globally were excluded from the formal financial system.

To change that requires a massive effort—from smart policies to innovation on the ground. With her firm grasp of the technical issues, political savvy and boundless energy, Queen Máxima has masterfully used her role as the U.N. Secretary-General's Special Advocate, her empathy and her easy laughter to cajole, encourage and support decisionmakers—from the hallowed halls of the financial-standard-setting bodies in Basel, Switzerland, to the female leaders of savings groups in rural villages.