Apple Appoints John Ternus CEO to Replace Tech Giant’s Tim Cook

tim cook It is set to exit like this: apologizeBecame CEO after 15 years. John TurnersThe senior vice president of hardware engineering will become Apple’s next CEO, the company announced.

Cook will become Chairman of Apple’s Board of Directors and Ternus will become Apple’s next CEO, effective September 1, 2026. The transition, which was unanimously approved by the board of directors, follows a “thoughtful and long-term succession planning process,” the company said.

“Becoming CEO of Apple and being trusted to lead such a special company has been the greatest privilege of my life,” Cook said in a statement. “I love Apple with my whole being, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with a team of unique, innovative, creative and caring people who have an unwavering commitment to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the world’s best products and services.”

Cook, 65, first joined Apple in March 1998 and was named CEO in August 2011, shortly before the death of co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs. Previously, Cook was the tech giant’s COO and served as head of Apple’s Macintosh division.

Under Cook’s leadership, the company launched several new product and service categories, including its entertainment streaming service Apple TV (formerly Apple TV+) and Apple Music. Despite its move into Hollywood and strong growth in digital services, Apple’s selection of Ternus as its next CEO reflects its belief that physical devices remain the company’s core financial engine.

Ternus, 50, joined the executive team in 2021 as SVP of Hardware Engineering. During his 25-year tenure at Apple to date, Ternus has overseen hardware engineering efforts for a variety of products across all categories. The company said he has been “instrumental” in launching several new product lines, including the iPad and AirPods, as well as multiple generations of products across the iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch. Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001.

“We are truly grateful for the opportunity to advance Apple’s mission,” Turnus said in a statement. “I’ve spent most of my career at Apple, and I was fortunate to work under Steve Jobs and have Tim Cook as a mentor. It was a privilege to help shape products and experiences that have profoundly changed the way we interact with the world.”

Cook said of Ternus, “He has the spirit of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and a heart to lead with honesty and honor. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years have already been countless. He is without a doubt the right person to lead Apple into the future. I could not be more confident in his abilities and character and look forward to working closely with him in this transition and my new role as Chairman.”

Arthur Levinson, Apple’s non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, will become a senior outside director on September 1 with the replacement of CEO. Ternus is expected to join Apple’s board of directors on the same day. Levinson is the founder and CEO of Calico Labs, a Google-backed company focused on research on aging and age-related diseases.