Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook, the hand-chosen successor of Steve Jobs, faces the challenge of crafting the company's strategy following the death of a man he called "a visionary and creative genius".
Cook, who became chief executive on August 24 after Jobs switched to chairman, announced his predecessor's death in a message to employees.
"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being," Cook, 50, said. "Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor.
"Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."
This week Cook introduced a new iPhone, marking his first product unveiling since taking the reins.
Jobs hired Cook from Compaq in 1998, and the deputy soon proved his mettle as an operations expert. Cook transformed inventory management to enable Apple to ship the iconic iMac in a rainbow of colours, deviating from the typical plain beige box. He later was able to orchestrate the speedy delivery of iPods, iPads and iPhones - often within 48 hours - to help forge an army of Apple loyalists.
Cook must now take up the mantle of charting Apple's creative vision.
Following Jobs' retirement Cook said to employees that "Apple is not going to change" and he reiterated that thought yesterday: "We will honour his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much."
Cook led the company when Jobs was out during three medical leaves. Though he was a counterpoint to Jobs' more emotional personality, the men were two sides of the same coin, said Mike Janes, who used to run Apple's online store. Both were demanding leaders with an attention to detail. "Despite their style differences, their intensity is basically equal," Janes said. "They are both perfectionists."
Jobs' absence was palpable throughout the 90-minute introduction of the iPhone 4S this week at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California.
"This is my first product launch since being named CEO," Cook said, the only Jobs' reference, if veiled, at the entire event. "I'm sure you didn't know that."
Jobs was renowned for stirring, meticulously rehearsed pitches. Cook delivered his remarks more slowly and methodically, and he let other executives do much of the presentation.
During his 13 years at Apple, Cook has mastered an expanding list of operational roles, including manufacturing, distribution, sales and customer service.
"We have great confidence in Tim Cook, who is a partner of high quality," said Stephane Richard, chief executive of France Telecom. While Cook was Jobs' choice for successor, he hasn't had much time to demonstrate whether he can rally the company's roughly 50,000 employees as effectively as Jobs, who steered Apple into industries as varied as mobile phones, music downloads and retailing.
"The tendency of people who follow such successful CEOs is to try to emulate them, and that's rarely successful," said Arthur Levitt, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and an adviser to Goldman Sachs. "I hope that Cook is agile enough to chart his own course and do his own thing, because everybody will be comparing for the next few years everything he does with the way Steve would have done it."
Investors will be likely to pressure Cook to use some of Apple's cash - now more than $75 billion, including long-term holdings - for a dividend or stock buyback.
In addition to overhauling the company's supply chain, Cook also has led the company into new markets. Sales in China reached $3.8 billion in the last reported quarter, up sixfold from a year ago.
Companies such as Nike and IMB have thrived without their iconic leaders, said John Connors, a venture capitalist at Ignition Partners. He and Cook sit on Nike's board, which oversaw the retirement of CEO Phil Knight.
"I am sure the world will see in the next several years that Tim is a very uniquely gifted guy and Apple will be wildly successful under his leadership."
- Bloomberg