John Ternus officially took over as Apple CEO on Tuesday, stepping into the role after serving as the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering. His first day arrives just over a week ahead of Apple’s annual iPhone launch event, scheduled for September 9.
Ternus inherits a company that grew into a EUR 3 trillion giant under Tim Cook. During Cook’s tenure, Apple shipped a lineup that reshaped consumer technology, including every iPhone from 2012’s iPhone 5 onward, the Apple Watch, AirPods, Vision Pro and HomePod, along with services such as Apple Music, Apple TV Plus and Apple Fitness Plus.
The transition also brings real hurdles. Ternus takes charge amid a global RAM shortage, intensifying smartphone competition and questions about whether Apple can close the gap in the artificial intelligence race.
Tim Cook Steps Aside After 15 Years
Cook, who became CEO two months before Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died in 2011, reportedly marked the end of his 15-year run with a farewell gathering at Apple Park over the weekend. Roughly 200 people attended, largely Apple employees, alongside Cook’s partner and the band OneRepublic, according to reports citing unnamed sources.
Ternus reportedly spoke at the event, as did Steve Jobs’ widow, Laurene Powell Jobs; former Apple COO Jeff Williams; and Eddy Cue, who leads Apple Services and Health. Sources cited in that reporting described the handoff as one of continuity, with much expected to remain the same.
Cook praised his successor during his final earnings call as CEO in July, saying, “There is no better person to take the helm of the company.” In his farewell note this week, Cook called Ternus “brilliant and wonderful and capable” and added, “Few people understand what it takes to build products that change the world the way John does, and I could not be more excited for his leadership.”
Cook now serves as executive chair of Apple. Remaining in a senior role means he retains influence over Apple’s direction and can continue the working relationship he has built with the current presidential administration.
Who Is Apple’s New Chief Executive?
Ternus joined Apple in 2001 on the product design team after earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and working as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. Over 25 years, he rose to vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 and senior vice president in 2021.
His work spans many of Apple’s flagship devices, including the iPad, AirPods, iPhone, Apple Watch and, most recently, the MacBook Neo. Apple credits Ternus with strengthening device durability through 3D-printed titanium in the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and a recycled aluminum compound.
Considered the frontrunner to replace Cook last year, Ternus is 51, close to the age Cook was when he first became CEO. In Apple’s April announcement, Cook said Ternus “has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator and the heart to lead with integrity and with hon
