John Ternus Succeeds Tim Cook as Apple CEO

On September 1, 2026, John Ternus became the chief executive officer of Apple Inc., succeeding Tim Cook after his 15-year tenure. Ternus, a 25-year company veteran and former senior vice president of hardware engineering, takes the helm as Apple shifts from an operations-driven management style to a product- and engineering-led approach. Tim Cook transitioned to the role of executive chairman, where he will focus on global policy and maintain relationships with regulators and governments, including those in the United States and China.

Ternus inherits a company with a market capitalization between $4 trillion and $5 trillion, but one facing significant challenges. He is tasked with accelerating Apple's artificial intelligence strategy to compete with Microsoft and Google, reducing reliance on external models like Google's Gemini, and managing a global memory component crisis. Internally, Ternus is reshaping the executive structure, which may include splitting the hardware organization into distinct engineering and chip businesses and separating retail from human resources. This reorganization follows a broader executive exodus, including the departure of Phil Schiller from his leadership roles in the App Store and Apple events.

Ternus will make his first major public appearance as CEO on September 9 at the Steve Jobs Theater. The event is expected to unveil Apple's first foldable iPhone—a book-style device with a tablet-sized display—alongside a touchscreen MacBook Pro and a rebuilt Siri powered by large language models.