Apple’s new chief executive starts today: Who is John Ternus? John Ternus joined Apple in 2001 and has worked his way up through the organisation Tue, 01 Sep, 2026 – 11:59Agencies
In April 2026, Apple announced that its long-time chief executive Tim Cook would be stepping down from his role to be replaced by a 25-year veteran of the company, John Ternus.
Mr Ternus joined the tech company in 2001 and has worked his way up through the organisation. With a focus on hardware, he was most recently serving as senior vice president for hardware engineering before being tapped for the top job.
The leadership change marks the end of an era at one of the world’s most iconic companies. Mr Cook, who succeeded Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, has been chief executive since 2011.
During Mr Cook’s 15-year tenure, the company’s value skyrocketed to $4.6tn thanks to the iPhone’s enormous popularity. But as of September 1, there is a new man in the CEO’s chair.
Who is John Ternus?
Before joining Apple, Mr Ternus worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
He joined Apple’s product design team in 2001, initially working on Apple’s Cinema Display computer monitors. During his first decade with Apple, the company would go on to launch products such as the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad. The huge success of these products turned the firm into one of the most valuable companies in the world — a title which it held up until recently, when it was overtaken by Nvidia.
Mr Ternus was promoted to vice-president of hardware engineering in 2013, and by 2021 he joined the company’s executive team, when he took on his current role of senior vice president of hardware engineering, reporting directly to Mr Cook.
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As part of his role, Mr Ternus has overseen some of Apple’s most consequential hardware bets in recent years, including the teams behind the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and AirPods.
He has played a key role in reigniting sales of products such as Apple’s Mac computers, which have seen an increase in market share in recent years. In late 2020, the company successfully shifted away from Intel chips in its laptops to its own ARM-based system-on-a-chip, Apple Silicon.
The new computer chips, based largely on the same technology used in mobile phones, was incredibly successful for Apple in reigniting its iMac and MacBook lineups. Earlier this year, the company released the entry-level MacBook Neo for €699, based on the same technology, which became an instant success for the company.
Mr Ternus has also been a mainstay of the company’s annual product presentations most recently showing off Apple’s iPhone Air in the autumn last year – the biggest revamp of the iPhone since 2017.
Mr Cook has been reportedly preparing Mr Ternus for the role for months, asking him at the end of last year to informally take over the company’s software and hardware design teams. He has also inherited a new hardware prototyping team in recent months and took charge of hardware engineering for the Apple Watch.
With Mr Ternus taking over as CEO, Mr Cook will move to a new role, becoming the company’s executive chairman.
Mr Ternus, 50, is the same age as Mr Cook when he took over the reins as chief executive from co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011.
What challenges does John Ternus face?
The transition to a new CEO comes at a pivotal time for Apple.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has unleashed the greatest upheaval within the industry since Mr Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007.
Apple has gotten off to a rough start in AI after stumbling in its efforts to deliver new features built on the technology, as promised nearly two years ago.
Earlier this year, it unveiled new artificial intelligence advances, including upgrades to its Siri assistant, emphasising a focus on privacy and day-to-day use as the iPhone maker tries to catch up with rivals.
Mr Ternus faces challenges that will force him to step outside his comfort zone in hardware engineering.
Beyond finding ways to keep Apple competitive in the artificial intelligence race, he will need to navigate supply chain questions and relationships with figures such as US president Donald Trump, who offered public praise for his predecessor on Tuesday.
Serving as Apple chief executive will also require soft skills, including developing relationships with important figures.
Mr Cook cultivated ties with Mr Trump as he navigated the company through business challenges, including Mr Trump’s trade and tariff war targeting countries in Asia, where Apple has extensive manufacturing supply chains.
Although he is handing over the reins at Apple, Mr Cook is widely expected to help the company maintain a good relationship with Mr Trump after he shifts to his new role as executive chairman.
Mr Ternus will headline next week’s launch of the latest iPhone at Apple’s Cupertino, California headquarters.
Reporting by PA, Reuters, and Bloomberg.
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