Apple’s leadership is changing with Tim Cook becoming executive chairman and John Ternus, senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, promoted to CEO. The transition will take place on September 1, 2026.
“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,” Cook said.
“I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world.”
COMMUNITY LETTER FROM TIM COOK
Cook will continue as CEO leading up to the next iPhone launch, working closely with Ternus on a smooth transition.
“John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honour. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future. I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman.”
It’s a good sign that Apple has promoted a Mac man. Ternus has helped create a surge in the popularity of MacBooks, including the introduction of the smash hit MacBook Neo, powered by an iPhone processor.
“I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward,” said Ternus.
“Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been lucky to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as my mentor. It has been a privilege to help shape the products and experiences that have changed so much of how we interact with the world and with one another. I am filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come, and I am so happy to know that the most talented people on Earth are here at Apple, determined to be part of something bigger than any one of us. 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.”
Prior to Apple, Ternus worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 and became a vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013. He joined the executive team in 2021 as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. Throughout his tenure at Apple, Ternus has overseen hardware engineering work on a variety of groundbreaking products across every category. He was instrumental in the introduction of multiple new product lines, including iPad and AirPods, as well as many generations of products across iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
It’s a smart move to keep Tim Cook in the role of executive chairman to support Ternus in one of the most significant roles in world tech. Cook joined Apple in 1998. He became CEO in 2011 after the death of Steve Jobs. He was also instrumental in expanding existing product lines. Under Cook’s leadership, Apple has grown from a market capitalisation of approximately $350 billion to $4 trillion, representing a more than 1,000% increase, and yearly revenue has nearly quadrupled, from $108 billion in fiscal year 2011 to more than $416 billion in fiscal year 2025.
These are big boots to fill.
