After nearly 15 years at Apple, Tim Cook has stepped down as the company’s CEO. Effective September 1, 2026, John Ternus has taken over as the new Apple CEO, while Cook will serve as executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors. In an emotional post, Cook thanked the Apple community and said his “gratitude is endless.” In a memo to employees, Cook said he would miss leading Apple but felt confident about handing over the role to Ternus. He described his successor as “brilliant and wonderful and capable.”
John Ternus is a long-time Apple executive with more than two decades of experience at the company. He joined Apple in 2001 as part of its product design team. In 2013, Ternus became vice president of Hardware Engineering. He was later promoted to senior vice president in 2021 and became part of Apple’s executive leadership team.
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During his time at Apple, Ternus has worked on several of the company’s biggest products. His work has covered the iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch and AirPods. He has been involved in both new product launches and updates to existing devices.
Ternus has also played an important role in strengthening Apple’s Mac lineup. His team also worked on improvements to products such as AirPods, including better noise cancellation and hearing-related features.
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Moreover, Ternus has been focusing on making Apple products more durable and environmentally friendly. His work has included the development of a recycled aluminium compound used across several product lines. He has also been involved in the use of 3D-printed titanium in the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
Before joining Apple, Ternus worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.