Apple chief executive Tim Cook will be the commencement speaker at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s class of 2017 graduation ceremonies next spring, the school said Thursday.
Cook, who succeeded Apple founder Steve Jobs as chief executive shortly before Jobs died in 2011, will speak to graduates on June 9.
Apple is the world’s most valuable company by market cap. The company’s 15-year streak of annual sales growth was snapped in its most recent fiscal year.
The company has faced political criticism in the last year from President-elect Donald Trump, who has targeted its overseas manufacturing strategy and refusal to unlock an
iPhone to aid federal investigators in the aftermath of the 2015 San Bernardino, Calif., terrorist attack.
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Cook has previously delivered commencement addresses at George Washington University in 2015 and at his alma mater, Auburn University, in 2010, prior to becoming CEO.
Past MIT commencement speakers have included big names from the worlds of business, politics, and entertainment, such as: Xerox chief executive Ursula Burns, former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, former vice president Al Gore, actor Matt Damon, and the longtime hosts of the popular National Public Radio program “Car Talk,” Raymond and Thomas Magliozzi.
Adam Vaccaro can be reached at adam.vaccaro@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamtvaccaro.