​Apple this morning has announced a major leadership transition. John Ternus will become the next chief executive officer, while current CEO Tim Cook transitions to executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors. The change will take effect on September 1, 2026.
The board of directors unanimously approved the move, which follows a long-term succession planning process. Cook will remain in his role as CEO through the summer to work closely with Ternus and ensure a smooth handover. In his new position as executive chairman, Cook will assist with specific aspects of the company, including engaging with global policymakers.
Cook praised his successor’s capabilities and character. “John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor,” Cook said. He added that Ternus is a visionary with numerous contributions over his 25 years at Apple, noting he is unquestionably the right person to lead the organisation into the future. Cook described his time leading Apple as the greatest privilege of his life.
Ternus, who currently serves as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, expressed his gratitude. “Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been lucky to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as my mentor,” Ternus said. He stated he is humbled to step into the role and promised to lead with the values and vision that have defined Apple for half a century.
Alongside this executive transition, Arthur Levinson will shift from non-executive chairman to lead independent director on September 1, 2026. Levinson has held the non-executive chairman position for the past 15 years. Ternus will also join the board of directors on the same date. Levinson commended Cook’s tenure, stating he transformed Apple into the best company in the world and infused his integrity and values into everything the business does.
Cook took over as CEO in 2011 after joining Apple in 1998. Under his tenure, Apple’s market capitalisation skyrocketed from approximately $350 billion to $4 trillion, representing a surge of more than 1,000 percent. Yearly revenue increased from $108 billion in fiscal year 2011 to more than $416 billion in fiscal year 2025. He oversaw the introduction of new categories like the Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple Services grew into a business worth more than $100 billion, equivalent to a Fortune 40 company. Furthermore, Cook championed the shift to Apple-designed silicon, reduced the company’s carbon footprint by more than 60 percent below 2015 levels, and strongly advocated for user privacy as a fundamental human right. The company’s active installed base reached more than 2.5 billion devices, and the workforce grew by more than 100,000 team members during his leadership. Apple also expanded its retail presence to operate over 500 stores globally.
Ternus brings a strong engineering background to the top job. Prior to Apple, he worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems and holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 and entered the executive team as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2021. He played an instrumental role in launching multiple product lines, including the iPad, AirPods, and numerous generations of the iPhone and Mac.
Ternus’s recent oversight includes the introduction of the MacBook Neo, which aims to make the Mac experience more accessible. This past autumn, his team introduced a redefined iPhone lineup, featuring the iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max, the radically thin iPhone Air, and the iPhone 17. Under his leadership, AirPods were updated to feature unprecedented active noise cancellation and function as over-the-counter hearing aids. Ternus has also focused on product durability and environmental sustainability, introducing a new recycled aluminium compound across multiple lines and utilising 3-D printed titanium in the Apple Watch Ultra 3
