Apple leadership change: John Ternus becomes new CEO, Tim Cook becomes Executive Chairman

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Apple today officially confirmed what had been anticipated for months: Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO and will become Executive Chairman of the Board. John Ternus, currently Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, will become the new Apple CEO on September 1, 2026.

The Tim Cook era at Apple is drawing to a close after almost 15 years at the helm. In a press release today, Apple announced the long-awaited leadership change. Tim Cook, CEO since 2011, will become Executive Chairman of the Board on September 1, 2026. He will be succeeded by John Ternus – a man who has been instrumental in shaping Apple's hardware development for 25 years. According to Apple, the transition was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors and is the result of a lengthy succession process.

The news was expected, but its official confirmation nevertheless marks a historic turning point for Apple. Cook will remain CEO throughout the summer and is working closely with Ternus on a smooth transition. As Executive Chairman, he will continue to play a key role afterward – particularly engaging with policymakers worldwide. However, the company's strategic direction will be under Ternus's purview starting in September.

Who is John Ternus?

Apple Tim Cook John Ternus — Image: Apple

John Ternus has been with Apple since 2001. He started on the product design team, became Vice President of Hardware Engineering in 2013, and joined the executive team in 2021. During his time at Apple, he has played a key role in the development of numerous product lines, including iPad, AirPods, numerous iPhone generations, and Mac and Apple Watch models.

Ternus is an engineer through and through. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems before joining Apple. Under his leadership, the MacBook Neo, which made the Mac accessible to a wider audience, and the completely redesigned iPhone 17 lineup, including the radically thin iPhone Air, were developed.

In his statement, Ternus said he was "incredibly grateful for this opportunity to continue Apple's mission." He had worked under Steve Jobs and had Tim Cook as a mentor – and wants to lead Apple with the values that have defined the company for half a century.

Cook's legacy in numbers

Tim Cook has radically transformed Apple since taking office in 2011. Under his leadership, the company's market capitalization has risen from approximately $350 billion to over $4 trillion – an increase of more than 1,000 percent. Annual revenue has almost quadrupled, from $108 billion in fiscal year 2011 to over $416 billion in fiscal year 2025.

Cook also introduced entirely new product categories – from the Apple Watch and AirPods to the Apple Vision Pro. Under his leadership, the services division grew into a business unit with over $100 billion in annual revenue – that alone would be equivalent to a Fortune 40 company. Apple's active installed base grew to over 2.5 billion devices.

One of the greatest technological achievements of his era was the transition to Apple Silicon – Apple's own chips based on ARM architecture. Cook also established data privacy and security as core brand values and reduced Apple's carbon footprint by more than 60 percent compared to 2015.

Ternus' priorities as CEO

Ternus, the future CEO, brings a significantly different background than Cook. While Cook came from operations and supply chain management, Ternus is a traditional hardware engineer. This is likely to shape Apple's strategy in the coming years.

In his previous role, Ternus played a key role in the introduction of Apple's new recycled aluminum alloys, which are now used in several product lines. He also spearheaded the use of 3D-printed titanium in the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and introduced numerous innovations in repairability.

With Ternus at the helm, Apple's focus is likely to be even more strongly on hardware innovation – which could lead to interesting shifts in emphasis compared to Cook's era. The leadership change also comes at a time when Apple is under considerable pressure in the AI field. The revamped Siri and the upcoming Apple Glasses will be key projects during his early tenure.

Further changes to the board

In parallel with the CEO succession, Arthur Levinson, who has served as Non-Executive Chairman for 15 years, is also moving into a new role. Effective September 1, 2026, he will become Lead Independent Director. Ternus himself will join the Board of Directors on the same day.

The structure is now clear: Cook will remain connected to the board as Executive Chairman and will be responsible for maintaining relationships with governments and political institutions – an area in which he excelled during his time as CEO. Ternus will assume operational and strategic leadership.

What this means for Apple

The transition from Cook to Ternus is the first CEO change at Apple since Steve Jobs' death and Cook's rise in 2011. For Apple, this is a moment of realignment – but also of continuity. Ternus is not an external candidate, but a long-time Apple insider who worked under Jobs and was personally mentored by Cook.

For Apple customers and the ecosystem, little is likely to change in the short term. The major product lines are planned for the long term, and the roadmap for the coming years is in place. It will be interesting to see what priorities Ternus sets – particularly in areas where Apple currently needs to catch up: artificial intelligence, smart glasses, and the expansion of its services business.

The leadership change marks the end of an era that made Apple the world's most valuable company. And it heralds a new phase, with a hardware engineer at the helm – at a time when hardware and software are increasingly converging and Apple is facing powerful new competitors in the AI age. (Image: Apple)