Apple names hardware veteran John Ternus as CEO, Tim Cook to transition to executive chairman

Apple on Monday announced a major leadership transition: CEO Tim Cook will become the executive chairman of the company's board of directors, and John Ternus, the company's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will take over as CEO from September 1.

The decision was unanimously approved by Apple's board following a long-term succession planning process. Cook will remain in his role through the summer to ensure a smooth and orderly transfer of responsibilities to Ternus.

Cook's legacy

"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 in a company statement. "John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor" and he is "without question the right person to lead Apple into the future."

Ternus expressed similar enthusiasm, saying he is "profoundly grateful" for the opportunity to carry forward Apple's mission. "I am filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come," he said.

Cook, who joined Apple in 1998 and became CEO in 2011, leaves behind a legacy of growth and innovation. Under his leadership, Apple's market capitalization expanded from about $350 billion to $4 trillion, while annual revenue increased from $108 billion in fiscal 2011 to more than $416 billion in fiscal 2025. The company also launched a series of groundbreaking products during his tenure, including multiple generations of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac devices, as well as expanding its ecosystem of services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, and iCloud.

He was the mastermind of the strategy that made China the primary manufacturing base for Apple devices, with the vast majority of iPhones assembled by contractor Foxconn and other suppliers in Chinese factories.

"Tim's unprecedented and outstanding leadership has transformed Apple into the world's best company," outgoing chairman of the board Arthur Levinson said in the statement. "His integrity and values are infused into everything Apple does."

Levinson currently holds the board chairmanship in a non-executive role. He will become the board's lead independent director.

Ternus' journey at Apple

Ternus brings over two decades of Apple experience to the CEO role. He joined the company's product design team in 2001 and became a key figure in the development of Apple's hardware innovations.

He became vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 and was promoted to senior vice president in 2021, overseeing major product launches and hardware strategies that have shaped Apple's modern product lineup.

Ternus has been influential in the evolution of the Mac, helping the line become more powerful and globally popular stage in its 40-year history, including the introduction of the MacBook Neo, designed to make the Mac more accessible worldwide. His team also drove last fall's redefined iPhone lineup, featuring the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, the slim and durable iPhone Air, and the upgraded iPhone 17.

Ternus has focused on product reliability, durability and environmental sustainability. His team introduced innovative materials, including a recycled aluminum compound used across multiple product lines and 3D printed titanium for the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Under his leadership, AirPods became the world's leading in-ear headphones, incorporating advanced noise cancellation and evolving into all-in-one hearing health device capable of serving as over-the-counter hearing aids.

Before joining Apple, Ternus worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems.

Challenges ahead

Apple's leadership transition comes as the company faces growing pressure in artificial intelligence (AI).

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives called Cook's departure "a surprise" in a note to investors, given the ongoing AI initiatives and noted that Ternus will face pressure "to produce success out of the gates especially on the AI front."

Investors have expressed concern that Apple appears to be easing into AI while rivals like Google, Microsoft and OpenAI advance rapidly.

Planned updates to Siri have been delayed, with Apple now integrating Google's Gemini technology rather than relying on its own engineers. Despite introducing Siri in 2011, Apple has yet to launch a major hardware or software product driven by AI, whereas competitors such as OpenAI's ChatGPT have drawn massive adoption.

Bob O'Donnell, head of tech consulting firm TECHnalysis Research, said that Ternus' priority will likely be creating a better AI strategy that leans more on Apple's own capabilities.

Ternus will also have to fend off other rivals. Meta Platforms' augmented-reality (AR) glasses have gained unexpected traction despite offering fewer features than Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro headset. Nvidia has announced its own personal computer and is working on chips that can power laptops.

Gil Luria, managing director of D.A. Davidson & Co., suggests Ternus' appointment signals a focus on new hardware devices, such as folding phones, AR glasses, VR headsets and AI pins.

New chief hardware officer

Apple also announced that Johny Srouji, who has led Apple's custom chip and sensor development, will become chief hardware officer.

Srouji has built one of the world's strongest teams of silicon and technology engineers, leading breakthroughs in custom chips, batteries, cameras, storage controllers, sensors, displays, cellular modems and other critical areas across Apple's entire product line, said the company.

"Johny has been an incredible partner on the executive team, and is going to be an extraordinary chief hardware officer," said Ternus. "I look forward to continuing to work closely with him in our new roles."

Srouji joined Apple in 2008 to lead development of the A4 chip and previously held senior positions at Intel and IBM in processor development.

(With inputs from agencies)