Technology: John Ternus to succeed Tim Cook as Apple’s CEO in September
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Technology behemoth Apple, Inc., whose market capitalization (net worth) is more than USD 4.1 trillion—almost equal to India’s GDP in 2026—will now have a new boss, John Ternus, who will succeed the incumbent Tim Cook as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in September 2026.
Ternus, 55, is an American engineer and business executive who has served as the Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Apple Inc. since 2021, reporting to Cook.
Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, he had joined Apple in 2001.
In a surprise move on late Monday, Cook, 65, announced that he would step down in September and named Ternus the next CEO. Cook will transition to executive chairman of Apple’s Board of Directors later this year, the media reported on Tuesday.
“I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward,” Ternus said in a company press release, according to media reports.
This will be the first leadership appointment at Apple in 15 years since Tim Cook took over the CEO role from the legendary co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011.
However, just a month ago, Cook had refuted speculation of stepping down and said in an interview, “I love what I do deeply.”
Transition
Apple on Monday said that Ternus’s transition was ‘a thoughtful, long-term succession planning process.’
He has been central to Apple’s hardware engineering growth, as its Vice President since 2013.
Ternus has spent 25 years at Apple, first joining the company’s product design team in 2001. Prior to Apple, he worked with Virtual Research, Inc.
He has been instrumental in the introduction of multiple new product lines at Apple, including iPad and AirPods, and many generations of products across iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
Cook described Ternus as a visionary who “has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor… he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future.”
Ternus helped Mac become “more powerful and more popular globally than at any time in its 40-year history,” including the recent introduction of MacBook Neo, making the category more accessible to people worldwide.
According to Bloomberg, Ternus reorganised the hardware engineering division this month to operate with a new AI platform. He is also leading the charge on a trio of new AI-focused wearables and new home devices.
Ternus’s transition to the CEO role comes at a time of intense pressure to catch up in AI, an area where Apple is seen as lagging. Under his watch, Apple will likely launch products in new categories like a foldable iPhone, a smart home hub and smart glasses powered by an upgraded Siri.
