Tim Cook leaves the CEO role after transforming Apple into a far larger business, while hardware chief John Ternus takes charge as the company faces its biggest technology challenge yet.
Apple has entered a major leadership transition as Tim Cook steps down as chief executive after 15 years in the role. Apple CEO John Ternus now leads the company after serving as its senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. Ternus became CEO on September 1, 2026, while Cook will continue at Apple as executive chairman of its board.
Cook became Apple CEO in 2011, succeeding co-founder Steve Jobs. During his tenure, he developed a leadership approach centred on operations, supply chains, services and long term business growth rather than trying to replicate Jobs’ style.
Apple expanded significantly during Cook’s leadership. Reuters reported that the company grew from a business valued at around $350 billion when Cook became CEO to roughly $4.5 trillion by the time he handed over the role.
Cook also oversaw efforts to diversify Apple’s manufacturing footprint beyond China, including increased production in India and Vietnam. The company’s services business also grew into a major part of its overall operations.
His tenure also faced criticism over Apple’s pace of innovation in some areas. The company abandoned its electric vehicle project, while the Vision Pro headset did not achieve the expected market impact. Apple has also faced pressure over the pace of its artificial intelligence development, particularly improvements to Siri.
Tim Cook reflects on Apple’s culture in his final message
Cook marked his final day as Apple CEO with a message to employees in which he reflected on the company, its culture and the people behind its products.
He referred to Steve Jobs’ famous idea of leaving a “dent in the universe” and connected it with the collective work of Apple employees. Cook also stressed that he was not leaving the company altogether.
In the message, Cook expressed confidence in Ternus and praised his ability to build products capable of making a significant impact. His comments offered a personal closing note to his time as CEO while signalling support for the new leadership.
Cook’s new position as executive chairman will allow him to remain involved with Apple, including in areas involving policymakers around the world. Apple had announced the transition in April as part of a long term succession plan approved unanimously by its board.
Who is John Ternus, Apple’s new CEO?
John Ternus is a longtime Apple executive with a background in hardware engineering and product development. His appointment as Apple CEO John Ternus brings an experienced product engineer to the company’s top leadership position.
He joined Apple in 2001 and became vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013. He joined Apple’s executive team as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2021. Apple announced in April that he would succeed Cook as CEO on September 1, 2026.
Ternus has worked on hardware development across Apple’s product portfolio, including the iPad, AirPods, iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch. His career has therefore been closely connected with the company’s product engineering and hardware strategy.
His appointment gives Apple a CEO with a strong engineering background at a time when the technology industry is undergoing a major shift towards artificial intelligence.
Why John Ternus faces a different Apple challenge
Artificial intelligence will be one of the biggest tests of the Apple CEO John Ternus era.
Apple has faced criticism over the pace of its AI development, including delays involving improvements to Siri. At the same time, technology rivals have invested heavily in AI models and infrastructure. Reuters identified catching up in AI as one of the major challenges awaiting Ternus.
Ternus will need to balance that challenge with the strengths Apple has built under Cook. The company’s hardware ecosystem, services business, global supply chain and huge installed base remain important foundations for the new CEO.
His engineering experience could also influence how Apple approaches the integration of artificial intelligence across its hardware and software products.
The challenge will not simply be to develop better AI technology. Apple will also need to find ways to make that technology work naturally across the products and services already used by millions of customers.
What happens to Tim Cook now?
Cook will remain at Apple as executive chairman rather than leaving the company.
Apple said he would assist with certain aspects of the company, including engagement with policymakers around the world. Reuters has also reported that his new role will involve policy relationships, particularly as Apple navigates its interests in the United States and China.
The arrangement gives Apple continuity while Ternus takes responsibility for the company’s day to day operations as CEO.
For Cook, the transition therefore marks the end of his tenure as chief executive rather than the end of his involvement with Apple.
What does John Ternus becoming Apple CEO mean?
John Ternus takes over an Apple that is substantially larger than the company Cook inherited in 2011. For Apple CEO John Ternus, the immediate task will be to sustain that scale while helping the company respond to a rapidly changing technology landscape.
The new CEO now faces the task of balancing artificial intelligence, product development, global supply chains and the wider technology market while maintaining the strengths Apple built under Cook.
The transition also marks Apple’s first CEO succession since Cook replaced Steve Jobs in 2011. Ternus begins his tenure with a different challenge from his predecessor: guiding an already highly valuable technology company through its next phase of growth and innovation.
Also check this: Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal retires after 12 years, from President Murmu’s ADC to a new chapter
