John Ternus to become Apple CEO, Tim Cook chairman
Apple said that John Ternus is succeeding Tim Cook as CEO, with Cook assuming the role of executive chairman on Sept. 1.
John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, will join Apple’s board of directors when he becomes CEO. At that time, Apple’s non-executive chairman Arthur Levinson would become the iPhone maker’s lead independent director. And Tim Cook as chairman. The exchange will begin September 1, 2026.
Ternus came to Apple in 2001 after a four-year stint as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. At Apple, he worked on the product design team, and in 2013 he became a vice president of hardware engineering.
“Today, we announced that I’m taking the next step in my journey at Apple. Over the coming months, I will be transitioning into a new role, leaving the CEO job behind in September and becoming Apple’s executive chairman. A new person will be stepping into what I know in my heart is the best job in the world. That leader is John Ternus, a brilliant engineer and thinker who has spent the past 25 years building the Apple products our users love so much, obsessed with every detail, focused on every possible way we can make something better, bolder, more beautiful, and more meaningful. He is the perfect person for the job.”
Cook’s tenure began in 2011, following the death of Steve Jobs, and during that time, Apple has expanded both its scale and its product portfolio. The company’s market value has grown from about $350 billion to $4 trillion, while introducing products like the Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro. It has also continued to expand its silicon and sustainability efforts. Reflecting on his time as CEO, Cook called it “the greatest privilege of my life” and praised Apple’s teams for driving progress.
“I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward. 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,” said John Ternus.
This change comes as Apple continues to face intensifying competition in artificial intelligence, as well as ongoing supply chain and regulatory pressures. With its technical expertise, Ternus is a key player in the company’s next phase, strengthening its position in artificial intelligence while maintaining a focus on hardware.
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