John Ternus has officially taken over as Chief Executive Officer of Apple, succeeding Tim Cook and marking the beginning of a new leadership era for the iPhone maker. Ternus assumed the CEO position on September 1, 2026, following Apple’s previously announced succession plan.
The leadership transition was announced by Apple in April 2026 after receiving unanimous approval from the company’s Board of Directors. Under the transition, Cook has stepped down as CEO after around 15 years in the role and has moved into the position of Executive Chairman of Apple’s board. He will remain on the board and continue supporting the company on long-term strategy and selected matters, including relationships with governments and policymakers.
Ternus takes over the top leadership position after more than two decades at Apple. He joined the company in 2001 and has worked across several of its major product categories, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods and Apple Watch. Before becoming CEO, he served as Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, overseeing key hardware development and engineering decisions across the company.
His extensive experience within Apple gives him a deep understanding of the company’s products, engineering organisation and hardware development process. His transition from leading hardware engineering to running the entire company represents a significant shift in responsibilities as Apple enters its next phase of growth.
As CEO, Ternus will take charge of Apple’s day-to-day operations and business decisions. He will also join Apple’s Board of Directors as part of the leadership transition. At the same time, Arthur Levinson will move from his previous position as non-executive chairman to Lead Independent Director, effective September 1, 2026.
The transition comes at an important point for Apple, with the company navigating rapid developments in artificial intelligence, hardware innovation and next-generation consumer technology. Ternus inherits responsibility for maintaining Apple’s product momentum while guiding the company through an increasingly competitive technology landscape.
For Cook, the move represents a change in leadership responsibilities rather than a departure from Apple. As Executive Chairman, he will continue to remain involved with the company and support Ternus during the transition, while Ternus assumes direct responsibility for Apple’s operations as CEO.
The appointment of Ternus marks a major leadership change at Apple after Cook’s long tenure and begins a new chapter under an executive whose career has been closely associated with the company’s hardware development and product evolution.
