After 15 years as CEO of Apple, Tim Cook is stepping down at the end of the summer. Cook’s successor is John Ternus, who is currently Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.
Who is Tim Cook?
Tim Cook joined Apple in 1998. However, he didn’t become the company’s CEO until 2011. Cook took over the role of CEO when Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs resigned for health reasons. During his time in charge, Cook oversaw the launch of many new product lines including Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Vision Pro. He also led on the introduction of new services such as iCloud, Apple Pay, Apple TV and Apple Music. Apple’s yearly revenue grew during his tenure, rising from $108 billion in 2011 to more than $416 billion in 2025. At the same time, the company has grown by more than 100,000 team members and its active installed base now stands at over 2.5 billion devices.
Who is John Ternus?
John Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001, before becoming a vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013. Then, in 2021, Ternus joined the executive team as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. He has overseen hardware engineering work on multiple new product lines, including iPad and AirPods. Ternus is also credited with making Mac products become more popular globally than at any time in its 40-year history. Beyond product oversight, Ternus led on Apple’s innovations in materials and hardware design. These include the creation of a new, recycled aluminum compound used across multiple product lines. Ternus also introduced the use of 3-D printed titanium in Apple Watch Ultra 3, along with improvements in repairability to increase the lifespans of Apple products.
What next?
Ternus will take over as CEO of Apple from September 1, 2026. However, Cook is not leaving the company. Instead, he will become executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors. Apple says that the changes were approved unanimously by the Board of Directors. During the summer, Cook and Ternus will work together to ensure a smooth transition of leadership. Cook said, “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company.”
or his part, Ternus said, “I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward.” He added, “I am humbled to step into this role, and I promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century.”
What we think
Under Tim Cook, Apple has continued to grow as a company and develop new products. During this time, John Ternus was the vice president of Hardware Engineering, so he was actively involved in the creation of those new products. Given this background, it’s an exciting prospect to have him take over as the new CEO. With his experience, Ternus could lead Apple to continue to develop new and innovative products and technologies. Beyond that, Ternus worked under Steve Jobs and has credited Cook as his mentor. Therefore, it seems that the future of Apple as a company will stay true to the vision and direction of its past.
