Leading Apple gives me so many examples of the power of smart, creative people working together to make a difference. Every day, I see our teams make the impossible possible through endless curiosity and collaboration. And I’m so grateful to Duke for helping me understand the importance of bringing those things together.
In 1986, I came to the Fuqua School of Business with an engineering degree and a passion for learning. I’d hardly left my home state of Alabama before I came to Durham, and just days in, I knew I’d found the university environment I’d hoped for. Duke was a place where people came not only to learn, but to learn together. And I have so many treasured memories of time spent with classmates in libraries, at cafes, and courtside at Cameron.
The study groups we formed were as tight-knit as a championship team. We juggled jobs and graduate school not just by challenging ourselves, but by leaning on one another. And my Duke professors encouraged us to share the journey – recognizing that our greatest opportunity for growth lay in the lessons we taught each other. Decades later, I still learn something new every day at Apple. My education did not end at graduation. But Duke prepared me to spend my life learning by listening. It taught me to trust my intuition, lead with my values, and most of all, find joy in sharing the journey.