Apple names john ternus as ceo to succeed tim cook

Tuesday 21 April 2026 - 10:40

By: Dakir Madiha

Apple names john ternus as ceo to succeed tim cook

Apple announced that John Ternus will become chief executive officer on September 1, replacing Tim Cook, who will transition to executive chairman of the board. The decision, approved unanimously by the board, ends months of succession speculation and marks only the third leadership transition in the company’s five-decade history.

Cook will remain in his current role through the end of the summer to ensure a structured handover. As executive chairman, he will continue to support the company, including engagement with global policymakers. Arthur Levinson, who has served as non-executive chairman for 15 years, will become lead independent director at the same time.

Ternus is a long-time insider who joined Apple’s product design group in 2001 and advanced through the hardware division. He became vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 and joined the executive team as senior vice president in 2021. He oversees development of devices that generate roughly 80 percent of Apple’s revenue. In late 2025, Cook expanded Ternus’s responsibilities to include oversight of design teams, a move widely seen as succession planning. Earlier this year, Ternus led the presentation of a new Mac product, signaling his rising profile.

In a company statement, Ternus said he was honored to lead Apple and highlighted his experience working under Steve Jobs and alongside Cook. His appointment signals continuity in Apple’s engineering-led culture as the company navigates evolving markets in devices, services and emerging technologies.

Cook’s tenure since 2011 has transformed Apple’s scale and financial performance. The company’s market value increased from about $350 billion to around $4 trillion, while annual revenue rose from $108 billion in fiscal 2011 to more than $416 billion in fiscal 2025. During this period, Apple launched products including the Apple Watch, AirPods and Vision Pro, and transitioned to in-house silicon design.

Alongside the leadership change, Apple said Johny Srouji will take on the role of head of hardware, assuming responsibility for the engineering organization previously overseen by Ternus. The transition reflects a broader internal reshuffle as the company prepares for its next phase under new leadership.