Alabama native and Apple CEO Tim Cook is taking an elevated role at Nike, the sports apparel juggernaut where he has been a director for over a decade. After a shakeup on the company’s board of directors triggered by the retirement of longtime Chairman Phil Knight, Nike announced that Cook will serve as lead independent director of the Board effective immediately.

Cook has sat on the board for Nike since 2005, and has served as chair of the Board’s Compensation Committee and also as a member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee.

Nike, much like Apple, is a winning brand. From sponsoring sports teams like the Alabama Crimson Tide and NFL franchises, to crafting sportswear for the everyday person, the Oregon-based company has come to dominate the athletic apparel market. According to Forbes, the company is valued at $15 trillion.

Cook’s business acumen is unquestioned. In 2015, he made Apple the most profitable company in the history of the world and his build on the successes of the company’s founder, Steve Jobs.

This year, he was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in the world.

RELATED: Alabama native Tim Cook named one of Time’s most influential people in the world

His entry, written by Disney CEO Bob Iger, said “Behind his soft-spoken demeanor and Southern manners is a focused fearlessness that comes from deep personal conviction. Tim is committed to doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time and for the right reasons. As CEO, he’s led Apple to new heights, and he continues to build a global brand that is universally recognized as an industry leader and widely respected for its values.”

Cook began working at Apple in 1998 after receiving an industrial engineering degree from Auburn University and a master’s from Duke University. He started as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations at Apple and became CEO after Steve Jobs resigned in 2011.