Cook's last WWDC appearance as Apple CEO Apfelpatient

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Tim Cook has opened every WWDC keynote since 2012. His last keynote as CEO will air on June 8th, as he hands over the reins to John Ternus on September 1st. The question isn't whether Cook will personally take the stage again, but how: whether he will, and who will handle the remaining segments of the evening. This is now becoming clear.

The Worldwide Developers Conference 2026 kicks off on Monday, June 8th, at 7:00 PM CEST with the traditional keynote address, which will be streamed live for free and without registration. The event is expected to focus heavily on Apple Intelligence and a completely revamped Siri, as evidenced by the anticipated hardware releases and expectations surrounding WWDC 2026. However, a personnel issue is attracting at least as much attention this year: it's the first developer conference since Apple announced the leadership transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus – and also the last keynote address during Cook's tenure as CEO.

Cook opens, Federighi carries the majority

According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Cook is likely to open the keynote address but then quickly hand over the majority of the program to Craig Federighi. This would be in line with the usual procedure of recent years: As Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Federighi traditionally delivers the lion's share of the presentation and is considered the defining face of the developer conference.

What is new, however, is the weight of his role. Federighi is now not only responsible for software development, but also effectively steers Apple's AI strategy. Accordingly, Apple Intelligence is likely to occupy a particularly large portion of the agenda this year – precisely the area in which Apple has recently received the most criticism.

Mike Rockwell is set to present the new Siri

The biggest show moment, however, is likely to be handled by another manager: According to Gurman, Mike Rockwell is expected to unveil the new Siri. Rockwell previously led the development of Apple Vision Pro and took over leadership of the Siri team in March 2025, which has since been part of Federighi's software division. The revamped assistant is considered the centerpiece of this year's announcements: It is slated to appear as a standalone app with a system-wide search gesture, thus undergoing its most comprehensive overhaul since its introduction.

Other segments: visionOS, watchOS and health

As usual, several Apple executives are expected to present individual sections of the keynote video. According to the report, Jeff Norris is slated to cover visionOS 27 and the future of the Apple Vision Pro, while David Clark is expected to present the section on watchOS 27 with its modular watch face, now available for all models.

If the video follows the structure of previous years, a short segment on health features is also likely. In that case, an appearance by Dr. Sumbul Desai, Vice President of Health, who oversees these segments, would also be probable.

The shadow of the CEO change

While the focus is on the software, a larger personnel decision is looming in the background. Cook has already handed over the reins for Apple's future to his designated successor, John Ternus, but will formally remain in office until September. His first public appearance as CEO would therefore not be at WWDC, but rather at the iPhone launch in the fall.

Apple traditionally doesn't publicly comment on personnel changes at WWDC. However, the last leadership change of this magnitude was 15 years ago, so a symbolic gesture can't be completely ruled out. It's conceivable, for example, that Cook would open the event and Ternus would close it. More likely, though, is that the keynote – at least in terms of its lineup – will follow its familiar format, with Cook both opening and closing it.

Routine on stage, change behind the scenes

Outwardly, WWDC 2026 will likely appear as a familiar software keynote, with Cook as host and Federighi as the central narrator. However, one unspoken fact remains: it will be Cook's last WWDC as CEO. Whether he personally opens it or Ternus marks the transition to the end will be the real source of suspense this evening, before the Ternus era begins. (Image: Apple)