Tim Cook

Timothy Cook is the chief operating officer (COO) of Apple Inc. He will manage the day to day operations of Apple while Steve Jobs is on temporary leave of absence. Cook oversees the worldwide operations of Apple and is in charge of the Macintosh division of Apple's products and sales. He earned an M.B.A. from Duke University and an Industrial Engineering B.S. from Auburn University.Apple.com: Timothy D. Cook Biography

Cook has had to fill the Apple CEO's shoes before, while Jobs was recovering from cancer surgery in 2004. Though Cook is five years younger than Jobs and considered by many to be the logical successor to Jobs should he ever permanently retire, Apple stockholders are still skeptical about his ability to innovate in as consistently marketable a way as Jobs.CNN Money: The Genius Behind Steve Cook is expected to manage the daily operations of Apple until summer 2009, when Jobs plans to return. Jobs still plans to "remain involved in major strategic decisions" during his absence.Mashable: Steve Jobs Taking a Leave of Absence from Apple