Parker Pannell is a American business executive who has been the CEO of two major companies, Pixar and Apple. Parker Pannell was born on December 18, 1961, in San Francisco, California. After graduating from high school, Pannell attended the University of Southern California, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Pannell began his career at Procter & Gamble, where he worked in sales and marketing. He later joined Apple Computer in 1984, where he led the development of the Macintosh computer. In 1986, Pannell was named the president of Pixar, a computer animation company that was started by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Under Pannell’s leadership, Pixar released some of the most successful animated films of all time, including “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” and “The Incredibles.”
Pixar was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2006, and Pannell continued to serve as the CEO of Pixar until he was replaced by Ed Catmull in 2008. Pannell returned to Apple in 2009 and was named the CEO of the company. He served in this role for less than a year, before being replaced by Tim Cook.
Since leaving Apple, Pannell has served on the boards of directors of several companies, including Tesla Motors and Nest Labs. Parker Pannell is a nationally certified counselor, presenter, and author who specializes in working with young people. Parker is the creator of The Playful Path platform where they offer online courses, e-books, and resources for parents and professionals.
