Bayan kammala karatunsa daga Jami'ar Auburn a 1982, Cook ya shafe shekaru 12 a kasuwancin kwamfutar mutum na IBM, a ƙarshe ya zama darektan cikawa na Arewacin Amurka. A wannan lokacin ne Cook ya sami MBA daga Jami'ar Duke, ya zama Masanin Fuqua a shekarar 1988. Daga baya, ya yi aiki a matsayin Babban Jami'in Gudanarwa na sashen reseller na kwamfuta na Intelligent Electronics, kuma a 1997 ya zama Mataimakin Shugaban Kamfanin na Kamfanin Kamfanin Compaq na tsawon watanni shida. Tambaya: Wace rawa Cook ya yi a IBM, bayan ya yi aiki a Auburn?
darektan cikawa na Arewacin Amurka