John Ternus has become the new CEO of Apple with the appointment of Tim Cook in the new executive chairman position at the firm, who has been Apple’s CEO for the last 15 years.
John Ternus replaced Tim Cook as CEO of Apple on September 1, 2026, after the Apple board nominated him for the position in April.
At the age of 50, the new Apple executive takes charge of one of the most successful companies in the world when the tech sector is witnessing significant transformation with artificial intelligence and new devices entering the market.
Ternus takes charge of Apple that is strong in its finances, but his main responsibility will be to find the next big thing for the company.
Ternus Joins Apple as its New CEO
The appointment of Ternus to Apple’s board of directors coincides with him taking the position of CEO of the company where he has worked for 25 years.
He started working at Apple as a member of its product design team in 2001 and became vice-president of hardware engineering of the company in 2013 before being made an executive of Apple in 2021. Ternus’s last position at Apple was that of its senior vice president of hardware engineering.
In his career, Ternus has managed the development of hardware for some of Apple’s key product lines like iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
Such a succession of CEOs in Apple reduces the change in Apple’s history as it means the appointment of someone with thorough knowledge of the company’s product strategy.
Where Does Tim Cook Go After Resigning from His Position of CEO?
Tim Cook will not leave Apple.
After serving as the chief executive of the company for 15 years, he has been appointed the executive chairman of Apple.
Arthur Levinson, the non-executive chairman of Apple’s board for 15 years, has now stepped up as the lead independent director of the company.
Cook steps down from a much larger version of Apple compared to the one he took over from Steve Jobs in 2011.
The company’s market capitalisation has risen from $350 billion when Tim Cook took over as Apple’s CEO to $4 trillion, while its revenues have swelled from $108 billion to over $416 billion in fiscal year 2025.
AI Will Be the Biggest Test for Ternus
Artificial intelligence will likely be the first major test of Ternus’ leadership abilities.
Apple was among the companies that brought voice assistants into mainstream thanks to Siri, but Apple’s success in generative AI has been under question in the face of fast moves by other companies, including OpenAI and Google, in the domain of AI-based assistants and agents.
Apple has been forced to adopt Google’s Gemini technology to upgrade Siri.
For Ternus, however, it will not be enough to build another AI model. He will have to demonstrate how AI can be transformed into products that Apple users actually desire.
Ternus has already emphasized that Apple places emphasis on making products via technology and not just shipping technology.
The Next iPhone Will Be Ternus’ First Major Test
The fact that Ternus has been promoted means that his first major test will be right around the corner.
Apple’s next major event is scheduled to take place on September 9, only eight days after he takes office as CEO.
The company is set to unveil its next iPhone series, while there have also been speculations of a foldable iPhone from Apple.
There has been no official confirmation of the products.
In case they launch a foldable iPhone, it would mean that Apple is going to join the bandwagon of Samsung and other brands who have already entered the fray.
The event will also offer the first glimpse of how Ternus plans to project himself as the new public face of Apple.
Will Ternus be Able to Find the Next Growth Driver for Apple?
Ternus takes over a company that continues to rely heavily on the iPhone, yet has found success in diversifying into other businesses since Cook took the helm.
Apple’s products like Apple Watch, AirPods, and other services such as Apple Pay, Apple Music, and Apple TV have enabled Apple to diversify. The company’s services division is making annual revenues worth more than $100 billion, while Apple’s active device installed base exceeds 2.5 billion devices.
Ternus needs to sustain all that success while looking out for the next growth driver for the company.
Artificial intelligence is certainly one of the options, but Apple would face increasing competition in areas like smart glasses and wearables. Furthermore, the company may run into problems with its App Store due to regulatory issues.
Apple has been trying hard to cut down its reliance on China due to supply chain risks. The company has made efforts in manufacturing in countries like India and Vietnam.
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