SOURCE: APPLE.COM

When Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks, many of us listen, eagerly awaiting the next high tech breakthroughs. Reuters and other media outlets have called him “the most powerful gay man in the world.” Earlier this year, Out magazine placed him in the top spot of the annual “Power” list of the nation’s most influential lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Cook’s career is an inspiration to anyone hoping that hard work pays off, making him our Person of the Week. Born in Alabama near Mobile, Cook grew up the son of a shipyard worker and a homemaker mother. A believer in education, Cook studied industrial engineering at Auburn University before receiving an M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Prior to joining Apple, Cook was the VP of Corporate Materials for Compaq and the COO of Intelligent Electronics. At Apple, he gradually rose up the ranks, proving himself to be indispensable and a worthy successor to Steve Jobs. According to Apple, Cook “played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.”

This week, Cook announced that new state-of-the-art notebook computers are on the way, along with a new operating system and more. One welcome improvement is to FaceTime, a service that allows users to make video calls over cellular and WiFi. Our guess is that many Bay Times readers would not mind some private FaceTime with the handsome and accomplished Cook.