Apple has named longtime hardware chief John Ternus as its next chief executive, with Tim Cook set to move into the role of executive chairman from 1 September 2026.
The iPhone maker said Ternus, currently senior vice president of hardware engineering, will take over on 1 September after a board-approved succession process.
Cook will remain chief executive through the summer to support the handover, before becoming executive chairman and continuing to work with policymakers on Apple’s behalf.
The move brings to a close Cook’s 15-year run at the top of Apple, having taken over in 2011 after Steve Jobs stepped down. During his tenure, Apple’s market value rose from roughly $350bn to about $4tn, cementing its place as one of the world’s most powerful consumer technology companies.
Ternus is a 25-year Apple veteran who joined the business in 2001 and rose through its product and hardware ranks before joining the executive team in 2021.
He has overseen engineering across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and AirPods, and has been closely associated with the company’s shift to Apple-designed silicon in Macs.
In announcing the appointment, Cook described the role of Apple chief executive as “the greatest privilege of my life” and said Ternus was the right person to lead the company into its next chapter.
Ternus said he was “profoundly grateful” for the opportunity, adding that Cook had been his mentor.
The leadership change lands at a pivotal moment for Apple.
The company has faced growing scrutiny over the pace of its innovation, particularly around artificial intelligence, as rivals such as Google and Microsoft move aggressively to build AI deeper into their products and ecosystems.
Apple has also come under pressure after a slower-than-expected rollout of new AI features and the muted reception to Vision Pro.
Ternus’s appointment is likely to be read as a signal that Apple wants to put hardware and product differentiation more firmly back at the centre of the business.
With a leader steeped in engineering rather than operations, the group appears to be betting that its next phase of growth will depend on sharper product innovation as much as supply-chain discipline.
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