From Jobs to Ternus: How Apple evolved through three eras of leadership

Tuesday 01 September 2026 - 18:45

By: Azzat Manal

From Jobs to Ternus: How Apple evolved through three eras of leadership

Apple is entering a new chapter in its history as John Ternus takes over as chief executive, marking another major leadership transition for one of the world's most influential technology companies.

The change comes nearly 15 years after Steve Jobs died in October 2011, leaving behind a company whose products had already transformed the technology industry. Tim Cook succeeded Jobs as CEO and spent more than a decade expanding Apple's global business while maintaining many elements of the product strategy established under his predecessor.

Jobs remains closely associated with Apple's culture of innovation. His return to the company in the late 1990s was followed by a series of products that reshaped the consumer technology market, including the iPod and, later, the iPhone. These devices helped Apple move beyond its traditional position as a personal-computer manufacturer and become a dominant force in mobile technology.

Cook's leadership produced a different kind of transformation. Rather than attempting to replicate Jobs' highly personal approach, he focused heavily on Apple's global operations, supply chain, manufacturing capabilities and international expansion.

Under Cook, Apple introduced new categories of products, including the Apple Watch and AirPods, while continuing to develop the iPhone, Mac and other established product lines. The company also invested heavily in designing its own processors, culminating in the transition to Apple silicon and the launch of the M1 chip in 2020.

Apple's financial expansion during Cook's tenure has been particularly striking. The company's market value has grown dramatically since 2011, reflecting the continued strength of its hardware ecosystem, services business and global customer base.

Cook's relationship with China also became an important element of Apple's strategy. The country developed into a major consumer market while simultaneously playing a crucial role in the company's manufacturing and supply network.

As Cook steps away from the CEO position and moves into the role of executive chairman, Ternus inherits a company that is considerably larger and more complex than the one Cook took over from Jobs.

The new CEO faces a different technological landscape. Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the technology industry, while competitors are investing heavily in AI-powered devices, software and services. Apple will need to determine how to integrate artificial intelligence into its ecosystem without compromising the privacy, simplicity and user experience associated with its products.

Ternus will also face pressure from rising production costs, increasingly complex supply chains and strong demand for advanced computing components. At the same time, he will inevitably be compared with both Jobs and Cook, two leaders who shaped very different periods of Apple's development.

The leadership transition therefore represents more than a change at the top. It raises questions about whether Apple can preserve the strengths of its existing business while developing a new identity for the era of artificial intelligence.

For decades, Apple's strategy has evolved from personal computers to digital music, smartphones, wearables, services and custom-designed chips. Under Ternus, the company will now have to demonstrate whether it can make another major technological transition while maintaining the global influence built during the Jobs and Cook eras.