Apple is said to be entering a pivotal transition phase with a new report indicating that the company has intensified internal discussions around who will lead the brand after Tim Cook. As per Financial Times, Apple’s board and top executives have begun preparing for the possibility that Cook may step down as early as next year. For the unversed, Cook has been Apple’s longest-serving CEO and the most successful leader in the company’s history.
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Cook, who turns 66 next year, has been CEO since 2011, taking over after Steve Jobs and overseeing Apple’s rise from a $350 billion company to a multi-trillion-dollar powerhouse. Despite that meteoric financial growth, the company has faced increasing scrutiny over its slower pace of innovation and its struggle to establish a clear direction in artificial intelligence.
While no final decision on Cook’s timeline has been made, the report suggests that Apple wants any leadership transition to happen after its January earnings, giving a new chief executive months to prepare for key milestones such as WWDC in June.
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If the reports are to be believed, John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, is widely regarded as the most likely successor. Ternus, 50, is Apple’s youngest executive leadership team member and has been with the company for more than 20 years. His influence has steadily increased, from overseeing major hardware categories to representing Apple at high-profile product launches such as the unveiling of Apple’s M1 chip in 2020 and the introduction of the iPhone Air earlier this year.
Ternus’ engineering background contrasts sharply with Cook’s operational expertise. Before joining Apple in 2001, he worked on VR hardware, and he has contributed to nearly every major device line, including Macs, iPhones, iPads, and AirPods.
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Previously, names such as software chief Craig Federighi, marketing head Greg Joswiak, and former COO Jeff Williams have been floated as potential successors. However, according to the most recent reports, Ternus has emerged as the clear frontrunner, especially after internal chatter suggested that Cook regards him as a strong communicator and consistent decision-maker.