The chief operating officer of Apple computers is an important job, but it got more important when Steve Jobs, CEO and tech idol, took medical leave. In his absence, COO Tim Cook began running the day-to-day operations of the tech giant, and is widely believed to be the leading candidate to succeed him. Cook is a Duke MBA grad, a former vice president at Compaq, and a 12-year IBM veteran. A southerner who favors collared shirts over turtlenecks, he's a bit more buttoned up than Jobs. But with a reputation for boundless energy and capability (plus blue jeans sans tie), it's not unimaginable that he could inherent Jobs' mantle as the paragon of techie cool.
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