Monday, October 16, 2006

Now, more than eight years later, Apple is resurgent and Mr. Cook is the company's chief operating officer and its second in command. But he is still little known to the public -- a stark contrast to Mr. Jobs, an executive so familiar that he's lampooned on "Saturday Night Live." While Mr. Jobs is widely credited with restoring pizzazz to Apple's product line, Mr. Cook is the low-key operator making sure the company runs smoothly behind the scenes.

"He's the story behind the story," says Mike Homer, a former Apple executive and Silicon Valley veteran.

When Mr. Jobs was recovering two years ago from surgery for pancreatic cancer, he placed the company's day-to-day operations in Mr. Cook's hands. Apple and people who know Mr. Jobs say the CEO is currently in good health and intends to remain at the company's helm for the foreseeable future.

Mr. Cook's low public profile notwithstanding, his contributions at Apple have earned him enough notice within technology circles that he is routinely solicited for CEO jobs.