Apple on Tuesday named Art Levinson as non-executive chairman of its board, replacing co- founder Steve Jobs who passed away last month.

"Art has made enormous contributions to Apple since he joined the board in 2000," Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive officer (CEO), said in a statement.

"He has been our longest serving co-lead director, and his insight and leadership are incredibly valuable to Apple, our employees and our shareholders," Cook noted.

Levinson, 61, has been the chairman of biotechnology company Genentech since 1999 and former CEO of the company from 1995 to 2009. He has authored or co-authored more than 80 scientific articles and has been a named inventor on 11 United States patents. In 2008, Levinson was elected as a Fellow to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Meanwhile, Apple announced that Bob Iger, president and CEO of Walt Disney, has also joined its board and serves on the audit committee.

"His (Iger) strategic vision for Disney is based on three fundamentals: generating the best creative content possible, fostering innovation and utilizing the latest technology, and expanding into new markets around the world which makes him a great fit for Apple," said Apple CEO Cook.

Iger, 60, was named president of Disney in 2000 and became CEO of Disney in 2005. He oversaw the acquisition of Pixar in 2006, an American computer animation film studio purchased by Steve Jobs in 1986 shortly after he left Apple.

Last June, U.S. President Barack Obama appointed Iger to the President's Export Council, which advises the president on how to promote U.S. exports, jobs and growth.