Tim Cook: “I’m not interfering with the new Apple CEO’s direction.”

Tim Cook stepped down as CEO of Apple in September, passing the reins to former hardware chief John Ternus while taking on the role of executive chairman. Although Cook remains a prominent figure for the company, recently spotted at a state dinner at the White House, he emphasized in an interview that he’s not interfering with Ternus’ leadership.

“First of all, John and I have an incredible level of trust in each other,” Cook stated. “The relationship must be based on trust, and communication needs to be frequent and meaningful. Beyond that, my focus is on global policy. Engaging with governments worldwide is crucial as we work to drive change and advocate for various initiatives. I’m dedicated to that and supporting John in any way he finds useful. I’m not meddling. I’m not a meddler.”

Cook also encouraged Ternus to “make it your own job. Invest your time in areas where you can provide the most value to the company. That means don’t try to replicate my approach, just as I didn’t replicate Steve’s. We all have unique strengths.” Ternus has conveyed to his team that, following Cook’s advice, “I need to focus on where I can add the most value for Apple.”

In the interview, Cook expressed his desire for the leadership transition to Ternus to be “the best transition ever, a textbook example for others to learn from.” He noted that the transition “actually started years ago” and remarked, “I think everything has gone sort of exactly the way I had envisioned it.” Ternus launched the iPhone Duo just days after taking over, and Cook mentioned that he “wanted John to have some wind at his back.”