Apple CFO Tim Cook Widely Expected to Present iPad 2

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Contrary to the hopes of many Apple fans and creatures of habit, Apple CEO Steve Jobs will not be on hand Wednesday at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California. Apple, on March 2nd, is expected to introduce the second generation iPad. As of this writing, however, reported plans call for Apple CFO and acting CEO Tim Cook to lead the presentation, effectively taking over the ceremonial duties typically reserved for Steve Jobs, who left the company he helped found last month on medical leave.

All eyes of late have squarely focused on Tim Cook's emerging role inside the secretive walls of the Cupertino, Calfornia-based tech-giant. Last week during Apple's annual shareholders meeting, Tim Cook noticeably sat in the "big seat" - only the second time in a decade that Steve Jobs missed the meeting. People who know Tim Cook, reports the LA Times, say he "has mastered running Apple's business while giving the creative team room to roam on the cutting edge of technology and design." And although the company has never publicly discussed a potential CEO succession plan, Cook is thought to be the only logical choice for the job in the event that a new, permanent CEO needs to be installed.

Apple's former chief talent officer Dan Walker believes that neither investors or gadget gurus need to fear if Tim Cook becomes the new big man in charge at Apple. "Tim is an incredible administrator and operational leader," Walker told the LA Times. "He is smart enough to accommodate creativity." But he's also not a showman. And it will be interesting to see how Cook attempts to wow his audience and the world beyond next week when he gives us our first official look at the iPad 2.

Source: LA Times