Posted by Cupertino, USA: Apple has named John Ternus, Senior Vice President (SVP) of Hardware Engineering, as the company’s next CEO, effective on September 1, 2026. While, Tim Cook will become Executive Chairman of Apple’s Board of Directors, according to a press statement.
Apple said that Cook will continue as Apple CEO and work closely with Ternus during the transition phase. As Apple’s Executive Chairman, Cook will assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers globally.
“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,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook.
“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,” added Cook.
“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,” Cook commented on the appointment of Ternus as Apple’s next CEO.
“I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward,” said John Ternus. “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 about his appointment as Apple’s next CEO.
Ternus joined Apple’s Product design team in 2001 and became a VP of Hardware Engineering in 2013. After eight years, He joined the executive team in 2021 as SVP of Hardware Engineering. Throughout his tenure at Apple, Ternus has overseen hardware engineering work on a variety of products including iPad and AirPods, as well as many generations of products across iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
Ternus’s work on Mac has helped the category become more powerful and more popular globally than at any time in its 40-year history.
Prior to Apple, Ternus worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.