Apple’s long-serving CEO Tim Cook is stepping down, and John Ternus is taking over; the company made the announcement on Monday. The transition will take effect from September 1, 2026, and it was approved unanimously by Apple’s Board of Directors.
Cook succeeded the late Steve Jobs as CEO in 2011, will become the chairman of the executive board, and will work closely with Ternus to ensure a smooth transition. Ternus, who has been Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will be replaced by Johny Srouji and Tom Marieb.
“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company. I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world,” Cook said in a statement. “John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future. I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman.”
Cook’s tenure as CEO has been a successful one. During his tenure, Apple’s market capitalization has grown from $350 billion to $4 trillion in today’s valuation, representing a 1,000 per cent increase, while yearly revenue has nearly quadrupled from $108 billion in 2011 to $416 billion in 2015. Cook has overseen every release since the iPhone 4S in 2011, including the introduction of new products like the Apple Watch, AirPods, and Vision Pro.
“I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward,” said Ternus. “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. I am humbled to step into this role, and I promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century.”
Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 and became the senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2021. Apple says Ternus has been key in the introduction of multiple new lines of products, such as the iPad, AirPods, and many generations of products across the iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
As Cook transitions into executive chairman, Arthur Levinson, who has been non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, will become Apple’s lead independent director on September 1, 2026. Ternus will take over as CEO and also join the board of directors, effective September 1, 2026.
Image: John Ternus and Tim Cook, Apple
