Apple CEO Tim Cook talked about the company's commitment on the widely discussed issue on diversity ahead of the company's anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference. Cook hinted that the event's keynote will include certain level of female presence.
In a special orientation session that was organized solely for the recipients of the company's WWDC Scholarship Program, Cook had an exclusive talk to Mashable about the current state of diversity in the world of technology. He also talked about what Apple and the rest of the industry can do to address the situation in an effort to make things better.
When asked why he believes that Apple should strengthen its efforts to support and enhance diversity, Cook simply replied with the words "It's the future of our company."
Cook also believes that female role models in the industry of technology needed an enhancement.
"I think in general we haven't done enough to reach out and show young women that it's cool to do it and how much fun it can be," said Cook. "When people feel valued for who they are, they have the comfort and confidence to do the best work of their lives."
On the company's first diversity report that was released in 2014, it says that 70 percent of its 98,000 global workforce is made up of male and that 55 percent are white. Apple and the tech industry had been pressed so far with enhancing gender equality in the workplace. Cook acknowledges how the company and the tech industry as a whole would have to do a better job in providing more diverse role models which should be particularly filled in by the female group.
So far, Apple's senior leadership team is headed by Angela Ahrendts who became the company's retail SVP after stepping down as Burberry CEO in 2013. She is joined by other female executives such as Denise Young Smith, VP of human resources, and Lisa Jackson, VP of environmental initiatives.
One of the things that Apple is doing to improve diversity is making outreach efforts involving women from junior high, high school and college. Cook says that the company is also spending a lot more time with colleges that are historically black.
"Some of this costs money, some of it doesn't," said Cook. "If you believe as we believe that diversity leads to better products, and we're all about making products that enrich people's lives, then you obviously put a ton of energy behind diversity the same way you would put a ton of energy behind anything else that is truly important."
