Today marks 15 years since Steve Jobs died. For the first time, the anniversary falls during the tenure of an Apple CEO who is not Tim Cook. John Ternus has led the company for just over a month – and has explicitly linked his own career path to Jobs's.
Steve Jobs died on October 5, 2011, at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer. Just one day earlier, Apple had unveiled the iPhone 4s on its campus in Cupertino, the first presentation under new CEO Tim Cook.
To this day, Apple maintains the memorial page "Remembering Steve", which collects messages from people around the world. According to Apple, more than a million submissions have been received there. How Apple remembered the founder a year ago is covered in the retrospective fourteen years after his death.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Steve Jobs died on October 5, 2011 at the age of 56, one day after the unveiling of the iPhone 4s.
- Apple's memorial page "Remembering Steve" is still online and has received over one million submissions.
- This is the first anniversary that John Ternus, not Tim Cook, is leading Apple.
- Ternus has been with Apple since 2001 and worked under Jobs.
The last weeks of autumn 2011
Jobs had already stepped down as CEO in August 2011. On August 24, Tim Cook took over as CEO, and Jobs remained chairman of the board until his death.
The weeks between resignation and death were closely intertwined:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 24.08.2011 | Jobs steps down as CEO, Tim Cook takes over |
| 04.10.2011 | Apple introduces the iPhone 4s |
| 05.10.2011 | Steve Jobs dies at the age of 56 |
| 01.09.2026 | John Ternus replaces Tim Cook as CEO |
Only six weeks passed between Cook's appointment and Jobs' death. Cook then led Apple for a good 15 years.
The first anniversary under John Ternus
Since September 1st, John Ternus has been Apple's CEO, and Tim Cook has moved to the top of the board as Executive Chairman. John Ternus's biography traces his journey from the product design team to the company's top management.
In Apple's April announcement regarding the leadership change, Ternus himself mentioned two names: He said he was fortunate to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have Tim Cook as a mentor. Ternus joined Apple in 2001 and thus worked under Jobs for ten years.
Tim Cook will remain with the company as Executive Chairman. His 15 years as Apple CEO began six weeks before Jobs' death and ended on August 31.
From Jobs to Cook to Ternus
With Ternus, Apple is for the first time in 15 years headed by someone who knew Jobs as a superior, but was not his direct successor. Cook took over the company from Jobs; Ternus takes it over from Cook.
I consider this more than a footnote. Ternus comes from hardware development and now handles Apple's design himself – a field that, under Cook, was long the responsibility of Jony Ive and later Jeff Williams. This means that the CEO is directly responsible for the appearance of the products.
Do you see John Ternus as a CEO who follows in Jobs' footsteps or one who continues Cook's course? Let us know in the comments whose influence you expect to see in future products.
