Apple names John Ternus CEO, Tim Cook to become executive chairman on September 1
Apple announced that Tim Cook will move from CEO to executive chairman of the board on September 1, 2026. John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will become the company’s next chief executive officer on the same date. Apple said the change was approved unanimously by its board and follows a long-term succession plan.
Apple announced that Tim Cook will become executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors and John Ternus, senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will become Apple’s next chief executive officer effective on September 1, 2026. The transition, which was approved unanimously by the Board of Directors, follows a thoughtful, long-term succession planning process.
— Apple
Cook will remain CEO through the summer and work with Ternus during the transition period. Apple said Cook will continue to support the company as executive chairman, including work with policymakers. Arthur Levinson will shift from non-executive chairman to lead independent director, and Ternus will also join Apple’s board on September 1.
John Ternus will be new CEO
© Apple Ternus has led Apple’s hardware engineering organization since 2021 and currently oversees teams working on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro. He joined Apple’s product design team in 2001, became vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013, and had already been one of the most visible executives behind recent Mac and iPhone launches.
Apple also announced a second hardware leadership change on the same day. Johny Srouji was named chief hardware officer effective immediately, taking over the broader hardware engineering role previously held by Ternus while continuing to lead hardware technologies. That move keeps one of Apple’s key silicon leaders at the center of product development as the company reshuffles its top executive structure.
Cook has led Apple since 2011, after joining the company in 1998. In its release, Apple said the company’s market capitalization grew from about $350 billion to $4 trillion during his tenure, while annual revenue rose from $108 billion in fiscal 2011 to more than $416 billion in fiscal 2025. The company also said its active installed base now exceeds 2.5 billion devices.
Source: Apple
