Tim Cook (CEO)
Who is he?
At the fairly ripe old age of 51, Steve Jobs' successor is a fitness nut and reportedly sends emails at 4:30 in the morning, presumably after a long run to gear himself up for another day in charge of the world's most coveted tech company.
Why he matters
Cook single-handedly pulled Apple out of a manufacturing slump in the late 90s and helped Apple reduce inventory levels and streamline its supply chain. The result? A company that can announce a new iPhone one day and deliver it to your hands in a matter of weeks – an Apple tradition.
Jonathan Ive (Senior VP, Industrial Design)
Who is he?
Perhaps the second most famous Appleite after Steve Jobs himself, British-born Jonathan Ive has received countless awards and titles, including numerous accolades for the being one of most influential Brits in technology and business. His OBE and KBE appointments have cemented his status as one of the top designers and innovators in the world.
Why he matters
Jonathan Ive's long list of iconic creations began with the iMac and continued with the iPod and iPhone. He holds over 400 design patents to his name alone. You only need to pick up an iPhone 4S to appreciate its beauty – and we're already drooling with anticipation for the iPad 3, the iPhone 5 and whatever other wonders he's cooking up in his secret design lab at Apple HQ.
Scott Forstall (Senior VP, iOS Software)
Who is he?
Forstall headed the team responsible for the iPhone's revolutionary iOS. He worked at NeXT (a company founded by Steve Jobs following his 1985 resignation from Apple) and moved over to Apple when it purchased NeXT in 1996.
Why he matters
Forstall has been described as a 'mini Steve' and reportedly shares the same attention to detail, ambition and high standards as the late visionary himself. Forestall has also been tipped to be Apple's next CEO after Tim Cook – a fitting position for a man who is considered to be one of the fathers of Mac OS X.
Philip Schiller (Senior VP, Worldwide Marketing)
Who is he?
Philip Schiller's biology degree is proof that many people end up straying far away from their academic disciplines. Luckily for Phil, he strayed into Apple and helped launch a whole host of iDevices from iMacs to iPods.
Why he matters
Schiller served as Steve Jobs' right hand man, supporting him during many of Apple's legendary keynote presentations. He's still at the forefront of the Apple stage spotlight and presented the January 2012 keynote for the introduction of iBooks 2 and iTunes U.
John Browett (Senior VP, Retail)
Who is he?
Until very recently John Browett was the chief executive of Dixons retail – but he has transferred over to Apple to spearhead its retail division.
Why he matters
Browett will be in charge of expanding Apple Stores around the globe. Whether or not this means that Apple Stores will be popping up in high streets as frequently as Starbucks remains to be seen, but it's certainly an area in which his retail experience will come in more than handy.
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