Apple announced Monday that after more than a decade as chief executive, Tim Cook will step down in September. He will hand leadership to company veteran John Ternus, currently senior vice president of hardware engineering — Apple’s first CEO transition since founder Steve Jobs’ death.
“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. “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.”
Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001, became vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 and was named senior vice president in 2021, reporting to Cook. He has led teams behind the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and AirPods, helped drive renewed Mac growth and presented the iPhone Air last fall — Apple’s biggest iPhone revamp since 2017. He will join Apple’s board effective September 1.
Cook, who led Apple since 2011, will remain as executive chairman. The change comes as the company faces mounting pressure to prove it can keep pace in artificial intelligence. Johny Srouji, who has overseen Apple’s custom chip and sensor designs, has been named chief hardware officer.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko