![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Apple-John-Ternus-Tim-Cook-e1776803583808.jpg\")
John Ternus (left) and Tim Cook at Apple Park in Cupertino, Calif. Apple<\/p>\n\t\tJohn Ternus (left) and Tim Cook at Apple Park in Cupertino, Calif. Apple<\/p>\n
After years of speculation and quiet succession planning<\/a>, Apple<\/a> announced yesterday (April 20) that Tim Cook<\/a> will step down as CEO in September and be replaced by John Ternus<\/a>, Apple\u2019s current head of hardware engineering. Cook will transition into the role of executive chairman and welcome Ternus to the board. Needless to say, this is perhaps the most consequential leadership change in the tech world in years. A new leader at the helm of Apple will, in many ways, shape the future look and feel of devices<\/a> used by billions of people worldwide.<\/p>\n Ternus is 51\u2014about the same age Cook was when he took over as CEO in 2011, succeeding Steve Jobs<\/a>. He has spent 25 years at Apple, rising entirely through the hardware ranks. In the CEO role, he has big shoes to fill and a lot to prove. Not only will he face pressure to carry forward the formidable legacy left behind by Cook, who grew Apple\u2019s market cap more than 20 times during his 15-year tenure, but he will also manage an executive team<\/a> of similarly seasoned leaders, many of whom are older than him and were, until recently, contenders for the top job.<\/p>\n \u201cMy biggest question is how he will be able to retain the people he has worked with in the past as peers,\u201d Om Malik<\/a>, a venture capitalist and an influential tech writer, told Observer. In particular, Malik pointed to Craig Federighi<\/a>, Apple\u2019s SVP of software. \u201cHe didn\u2019t get the job. So will he stay? Or will he go?\u201d he asked. \u201cThe same goes for others in the leadership team and how he handles that transition. It would be pretty interesting to see.\u201d<\/p>\n Other senior executives under Ternus include services chief Eddy Cue<\/a>, chief operating officer Sabih Khan<\/a>, retail chief Deirdre O\u2019Brien<\/a>, and\u00a0newly joined Amar Subramanya<\/a>, Apple\u2019s VP of A.I. While Subramanya reports directly to Federighi, observers will be watching closely to see how Ternus steers Apple\u2019s A.I. strategy, an area where the company is widely seen as lagging behind its peers.<\/p>\n How John Ternus got the job<\/p>\n During succession planning, Apple\u2019s approach seemed to be finding someone similar to Cook in both experience and temperament. For years, Jeff Williams<\/a>, Apple\u2019s former chief operating officer who was described as \u201cthe closest thing to Tim Cook<\/a>,\u201d was a top contender. However, one factor against him was age. At just three years younger than Cook, he likely didn\u2019t fit Apple\u2019s preference for long-serving CEOs.<\/a> Williams retired last summer and later joined Disney\u2019s board.<\/p>\n Ternus fits that mold closely and is significantly younger. He is \u201cwell-liked<\/a>\u201d within Apple\u2019s leadership ranks and is known as a meticulous engineer, according to Bloomberg, citing former colleagues.<\/p>\n \u201cJohn Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor,\u201d Cook said in a statement yesterday. \u201cHe is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n