Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO; John Ternus to Take Over September 1

A Leadership Transition at Apple

Apple has confirmed that Tim Cook will step down as Chief Executive Officer on September 1, 2026, ending a 15-year tenure that saw the company grow from a $350 billion valuation to 6 trillion. John Ternus, Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, will succeed him as CEO, as reported by NewsX.

The company described the change as the outcome of a thoughtful, long-term succession planning process, unanimously approved by its board. Cook will move into the role of Executive Chairman, remaining involved in policy engagement, while Ternus will also join Apple's board of directors. Arthur Levinson, who has served as Apple's non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, will become lead independent director on the same day, according to NewsX.

Who Is John Ternus?

Ternus, 50, joined Apple's product design team in 2001 after graduating in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, following a brief stint at a small VR headset company. He spent his entire career at Apple, rising through the hardware division. He was promoted to Vice President of Hardware Engineering in 2013 and to Senior Vice President in 2021, becoming the youngest member of Apple's executive team at the time.

As head of hardware engineering, Ternus has had a hand in nearly every major Apple device of recent years, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Vision Pro. He most recently led development on the MacBook Neo, Apple's first budget-friendly MacBook, which launched last month, as reported by NewsX. Industry watchers had long viewed him as the natural successor to Cook, given his hardware background and increasing public visibility at product launches.

In a related move, Johny Srouji, Apple's longtime silicon chief, has been promoted to Chief Hardware Officer, taking over Ternus's former responsibilities, according to NewsX.

Cook's Legacy and the Road Ahead

During Cook's tenure, Apple introduced new products such as Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro, as well as subscription services including Apple TV, Fitness+, and Apple Music. Under his leadership, the company's valuation soared from $350 billion when co-founder Steve Jobs handed over the mantle to 6 trillion in his final month, as reported by GB News. In the final weeks of his tenure, Cook introduced a top-to-bottom reimagining of AI assistant Siri, pledged that upcoming software updates would bolster performance on some of Apple's oldest iPhones, and debuted a new Mac mini with a speedy new chipset, according to GB News.

The 65-year-old Cook purportedly described the roadmap of upcoming products as "amazing" last year, teasing: "Some of it you’ll see soon, some of it will come later, but there’s a lot to see." This has fueled speculation about a foldable iPhone, a category where rivals like Motorola, Huawei, Honor, and Xiaomi already offer foldable smartphones. In his previous role, Ternus would have likely spearheaded the team developing a foldable iPhone, aiming to compete with counterparts from Samsung, Google, and Motorola, despite their head start, as reported by GB News.

Ternus now inherits a company with major financial strength but also one facing pressure to move faster in artificial intelligence as it enters its next phase of growth, according to NewsX.