Apple has announced that Tim Cook will step down as chief executive officer and transition to the role of executive chairman, with John Ternus, the company’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, set to succeed him as CEO.
The change takes effect on September 1, 2026 and was approved unanimously by Apple’s Board of Directors following what the company described as a long-term succession planning process.
Cook will remain in post through the summer, working alongside Ternus to ensure a transition.
Who is John Ternus, Apple’s new CEO?
Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 and rose to vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013 before joining the executive team in 2021.
He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems before joining Apple. Over a career spanning 25 years at the company, he has overseen hardware engineering across every product category, including iPad, AirPods, iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
His work on Mac has contributed to what Apple describes as the most popular period in the product line’s 40-year history, including the launch of the MacBook Neo.
He also led the hardware engineering behind the iPhone 17 lineup – which includes the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17 – as well as developments in AirPods that Apple says have made them the leading in-ear headphones in the world, including features that allow them to function as over-the-counter hearing aids.
Ternus has also driven changes in materials and production, including the creation of a recycled aluminium compound used across multiple product lines, the use of 3D-printed titanium in Apple Watch Ultra 3, and changes in repairability that have extended the lifespans of several products.
“I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward. 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. It has been a privilege to help shape the products and experiences that have changed so much of how we interact with the world and with one another. I am filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come, and I am so happy to know that the most talented people on earth are here at Apple, determined to be part of something bigger than any one of us. I am humbled to step into this role, and I promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century,” Ternus said in a statement.
Tim Cook’s legacy at Apple: How he grew the company from $350bn to $4 trillion
Cook joined Apple in 1998 and became CEO in 2011. During his tenure, Apple’s market capitalisation grew from approximately $350 billion to $4 trillion – an increase of more than 1,000 per cent. Annual revenue rose from $108 billion in the 2011 financial year to more than $416 billion in the 2025 financial year.
Under his leadership, Apple introduced new product categories including Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro, as well as services such as iCloud, Apple Pay, Apple TV+, and Apple Music.
The company now operates in more than 200 countries and territories, runs over 500 retail stores, and reports an installed base of more than 2.5 billion active devices.
Apple’s Services business – which did not exist as a standalone category at the start of his tenure – grew to more than $100 billion under Cook, a scale comparable to a Fortune 40 company. The company also completed a transition to Apple-designed silicon during his time as CEO.
Cook also made changes in the company’s approach to the environment, reducing Apple’s carbon footprint by more than 60 per cent below 2015 levels during a period in which revenue nearly doubled.
“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. I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world. John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future. I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman,” Cook said.
Arthur Levinson, who has served as Apple’s non-executive chairman for 15 years, will become the company’s lead independent director on September 1, 2026. Ternus will also join the board of directors on the same date.
“Tim’s unprecedented and outstanding leadership has transformed Apple into the world’s best company. He’s introduced groundbreaking products and services time and again, and his integrity and values are infused into everything Apple does. On behalf of the entire board of directors, we are incredibly grateful for his countless contributions to Apple and the world, and we are thrilled he will now be executive chairman. We believe John is the best possible leader to succeed Tim and as he transitions to CEO we know his love of Apple, his leadership, deep technical knowledge, and relentless focus on creating great products will help lead Apple to an extraordinary future,” Levinson further explained.
“I want to thank Art for the incredible work he has done leading the board of directors for the past 15 years. I have always found his advice to be invaluable and I appreciate his thoughtfulness and his unwavering dedication to the company. I am grateful he will serve as our lead independent director, and I look forward to working with him in my new role,” Cook added.
In his new role, Cook will assist with certain aspects of the business, with the company specifically noting his engagement with policymakers around the world. The announcement did not specify the full scope of his responsibilities in the position beyond this.
The handover marks the end of one of the most consequential runs in corporate history. Cook has overseen more than 100,000 new hires at Apple and has used his position to place privacy, accessibility, and environmental matters at the centre of the company’s public identity.
Apple’s next chapter now falls to Ternus, who steps up from the engineering side of the business to take responsibility for one of the most valuable companies on earth.
