“John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor.” That was Tim Cook’s verdict on the man who will replace him. Apple announced in April that Ternus, now its senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, becomes chief executive on September 1, 2026.
Cook will move up to executive chairman of the board. Apple said its directors approved the change unanimously after a long-term succession planning process. Cook stays on as CEO through the summer while he works with Ternus on the handover, and in his new role he will help with certain matters, including engaging with policymakers around the world.
Two other board changes take effect the same day. Ternus joins the board, and Arthur Levinson, Apple’s non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, becomes lead independent director.
The man taking over
Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001. He became a vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013 and entered the executive team in 2021. Before Apple he worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems, and he holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
His work spans the iPad and AirPods, along with many generations of the iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch. Apple credits his team with the recent MacBook Neo, with last fall’s iPhone lineup of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, iPhone Air and iPhone 17, and with AirPods that can act as over-the-counter hearing aids. He also pushed reliability and durability work, a recycled aluminum compound used across several product lines, and 3-D printed titanium in Apple Watch Ultra 3.
“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 promised to lead “with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century.”
Cook’s record, by Apple’s count
Cook joined Apple in 1998 and became CEO in 2011. Apple says its market capitalization grew from approximately $350 billion to $4 trillion on his watch, an increase of more than 1,000%. Yearly revenue went from $108 billion in fiscal year 2011 to more than $416 billion in fiscal year 2025.
The company now operates in more than 200 countries and territories, runs over 500 retail stores and has added more than 100,000 team members. Its active installed base tops 2.5 billion devices. Services, a major focus for Cook, has become a business worth more than $100 billion a year. Apple also moved to its own silicon during his tenure, and says its carbon footprint is more than 60 percent below 2015 levels while revenue nearly doubled.
Levinson praised Cook’s “unprecedented and outstanding leadership” on behalf of the board, and said directors believe Ternus is “the best possible leader to succeed Tim.”
