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Reports indicate Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus is emerging as the leading internal candidate to eventually succeed CEO Tim Cook. The framing centers on the scale of what he would inherit: a company with enormous revenue, market value and global reach built under Cook's leadership.
Tim Cook has stepped down as Apple's CEO after 15 years, handing the role to John Ternus, previously the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering. Ternus, 51, joined Apple in 2001 and rose through the ranks to lead hardware engineering, a role he held while reporting directly to Cook. Cook will stay on as executive chairman.
John Ternus, now Apple's CEO, sent his inaugural company-wide memo thanking Tim Cook for his leadership and years of service, and noting Cook will remain executive chairman. Ternus also flagged an upcoming major product launch and hinted at future innovations still in development.
On John Ternus's first day leading Apple, Bloomberg reports that former CFO Luca Maestri has stepped down from his Corporate Services role, with those duties now absorbed by current CFO Kevan Parekh. Separately, M&A chief Adrian Perica has been dropped from Apple's official leadership page, with his responsibilities possibly being split between the services and finance divisions.
John Ternus, who officially became Apple's CEO today as Tim Cook shifts to Executive Chair, has created an X account under the handle @johnternus. His bio reads simply 'CEO' and his debut post was just 'hello.' The account's activity is expected to ramp up ahead of Apple's fall product event next Wednesday.
Tim Cook has ended his 15-year run as Apple's chief executive, handing the role to John Ternus, who becomes only the third person to lead the company this century. In his final message to employees, Cook referenced Steve Jobs, echoing the same gesture he made in his first memo to staff when he took over as CEO.
Apple updated its leadership page to reflect John Ternus's new role as CEO, adding an entirely new paragraph to his official bio. The addition emphasizes his work on product reliability, durability, and materials innovation, including recycled aluminum and 3D-printed titanium components, as well as improvements to product repairability and lifespan.
John Ternus sent his first internal memo after officially becoming Apple's CEO, thanking outgoing chief Tim Ternus... rather Tim Cook for his guidance and years of leadership, and welcoming him into his new role as executive chairman. Ternus told staff a 'huge launch' is coming next week and hinted at further undisclosed products in development.
9to5Mac Daily's September 1, 2026 episode covers reports that Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple's chief executive, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus taking over the role. The daily podcast recap summarizes this leadership transition alongside other top Apple stories of the day.
John Ternus formally took over as Apple's chief executive today, succeeding Tim Cook after his 15-year run atop the company. Cook now moves into the role of executive chairman, and Ternus is expected to make his first major public appearance as CEO at Apple's launch event next week, where new iPhones and Apple Watches are anticipated.
Bloomberg reported that Apple shares delivered a 2,736% total return during Tim Cook's tenure as CEO, growing the company from a $350 billion business to a $4.6 trillion one. Commentary responding to that data argues incoming CEO John Ternus shouldn't feel pressure to replicate those numbers, pointing to Steve Jobs' and Cook's own philosophy that financial results should follow great products rather than be pursued directly.
John Ternus, Apple's 25-year veteran and head of hardware since 2021, officially takes over as CEO from Tim Cook on Tuesday, making him only the second chief executive since Steve Jobs. Cook, 65, will remain with the company as executive chairman, engaging with global policymakers, while the 51-year-old Ternus inherits full responsibility for software, devices, finance and legal operations. The handoff comes as Apple faces pressure to prove its AI strategy and navigate rising memory component costs.