Manufacturing Magazine October 2022 | Page 17

where he explained that , although he had never denied his sexual orientation , he had refused to publicly acknowledge it . Cook explained that , while many of his colleagues knew about his sexuality and supported him , he was still aware of the challenges minority groups faced .
" Being gay has made me more empathetic , which has led to a richer life ,” Cook wrote . “ It ' s been tough and uncomfortable at times , but it has given me the confidence to be myself , to follow my own path , and to rise above adversity and bigotry . It ' s also given me the skin of a rhinoceros – which comes in handy when you ' re the CEO of Apple .”
Despite being notoriously private , Cook recognised that he was able to live freely due the sacrifice of others . He added that he hoped his story could help those in the LGBT + community .
“ If hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling or inspire people to insist on their equality , then it ' s worth the trade-off with my own privacy ," Cook wrote .
American manufacturing The global manufacturing sector has been rocked by the past two years , and many

“ The way we look at manufacturing is this : the US ' s strategy should be to skate where the puck is going , not where it is ”

CEOs are determined not to be caught out by supply chain disruption again . Due to growing tensions between China and the USA , some businesses are moving their manufacturing hubs out of China – a sector that accounted for 27 % of the country ’ s GDP in 2021 .
Apple is moving its production to China ’ s neighbour , Vietnam , and rival , India , in order to prepare for any future supply chain disruptions . Currently , Apple manufactures AirPods Pro , iPads and other small devices in Vietnam .
Cook praised the emerging market in May , when the Prime Minister of Vietnam , Pham Minh Chinh , met with Cook at Apple Park to discuss trade .
But Cook is also bringing American manufacturing back home . Apple has invested US $ 45mn into a factory in Kentucky that makes scratch-resistant glass for the iPhone .
With a desire to forge new relationships with American manufacturers , Cook developed the company ’ s Advanced Manufacturing Fund . The US $ 1bn fund is designed to support over two million manufacturing jobs in the USA .
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