Tim Cook will leave the post of Apple’s chief executive officer on September 1 and move into the role of executive chairman of the corporation. John Ternus will become the new CEO, the company said.
Tim Cook. Photo: John G. Mabanglo / EPA
What Apple achieved under Tim Cook. Cook has worked at Apple since 1998 and became chief executive in 2011 after Steve Jobs died. He is leaving the CEO role at a high point: during his 15 years in charge, the company’s market capitalization rose from $350 billion to $4 trillion.
During Cook’s tenure, Apple first introduced AirPods, AirTag, M-series MacBooks, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Watch. iCloud and Apple Pay were launched under his leadership. Cook also played a major role in moving Mac computers from Intel processors to Apple’s own Apple Silicon chips. In addition, Apple built up its services business during his time, generating more than $100 billion.
What Tim Cook will do next. As executive chairman, Cook will help Apple address a number of issues, including building ties with politicians around the world, according to the company’s press release.
As The New York Times notes, Apple’s CEO has in recent years effectively become the technology sector’s chief diplomat. Journalists said he regularly visits Washington and Beijing to reconcile the often conflicting positions of U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Who John Ternus is. Ternus has worked at Apple since 2001. In 2021, he became senior vice president of hardware engineering. Apple highlighted his contribution to developing new product lines, from iPad and AirPods to iPhone Air and MacBook Neo.
John Ternus. Photo: Sarah Yenesel / EPA
Bloomberg describes Ternus as “Tim Cook Jr.,” saying he is likely to continue running the company much as the current CEO has. According to a source in the company’s leadership cited by the journalists, Ternus, like Cook, is not inclined toward major risk.
The Wall Street Journal, by contrast, writes that the new CEO is expected to revive Apple’s “spirit of innovation,” which some critics believe was lost under Cook.
What John Ternus will do. The article says Ternus’s main task will be to reduce the company’s lag in artificial intelligence. The new Apple chief’s first major presentation will be the September unveiling of a new iPhone.
Rumors about the Apple reshuffle. Bloomberg and The Financial Times reported back in 2025 that Apple could change CEOs in 2026. At the end of last year, Tim Cook expanded Ternus’s responsibilities and made him the supervisor of all design teams. This is an extremely important role that was held from 2005 to 2019 by Jony Ive, known for designing all of Apple’s key devices.