Tim Cook steps down as Apple’s CEO today, September 1, ending his nearly 15-year run at the helm. John Ternus, Apple’s head of hardware engineering, succeeds him as CEO.
Cook assumed the role in August 2011 after Steve Jobs resigned due to declining health. During his time at the top, Apple expanded well beyond the Mac and iPhone into wearables, services, and spatial computing, launching the Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, Vision Pro, Apple Music, and Apple TV, among others.
The company has posted all-time quarterly revenue records over its most recent financial periods, leaving Ternus with a business in strong fiscal shape.
Cook Stays On as Executive Chairman
Cook will not leave Apple entirely. He transitions to executive chairman of the board of directors, a role Apple says will involve assisting with “certain aspects” of the company, including “engaging with policymakers around the world.”
“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,” Cook said. “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 offered a pointed endorsement of his successor. “John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor,” he said. “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.”
Who Is John Ternus?
Ternus joined Apple in 2001 as part of its product design team, became vice president of hardware engineering in 2013, and was elevated to senior vice president in a later reorganization.
He has been closely tied to the development of Apple Silicon and the physical design of the company’s recent hardware lineup, giving him unusually deep roots in the engineering decisions that define Apple’s products.
“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,” Ternus said.
The leadership change arrives at a busy moment for the company. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 18 Pro lineup and its first foldable iPhone next week, making Ternus’s debut as CEO one of the most product-dense stretches on Apple’s calendar.
