Apple is about to undergo a big leadership change. Tim Cook will step down as CEO, and John Ternus will take over on September 1, 2026.
Cook will become executive chairman of the board, and Ternus, who is now senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will join the board as well.
Apple said the board approved the transition unanimously and that it is the result of a long-term succession plan.
A long-expected handoff at one of tech’s most powerful companies
This announcement ends Cook’s time as CEO, a role he took on in 2011 after Steve Jobs.
TechCrunch called this one of the most significant leadership changes in recent corporate history, pointing out that Cook took over Apple during a very uncertain time, just weeks before Jobs passed away.
Apple’s statement emphasized how much the company grew under Cook: its market value rose from about $350 billion to $4 trillion, annual revenue increased from $108 billion in 2011 to over $416 billion in 2025, and Apple expanded to more than 200 countries and territories.
Cook said in Apple’s statement that serving as CEO had been the greatest privilege of his life.
Apple also emphasized that Cook will remain involved after the handoff, saying he will continue through the summer to help with a smooth transition and, as executive chairman, will support certain aspects of the company, including engagement with policymakers around the world.
John Ternus moves from hardware chief to Apple’s top job
Ternus is not an outsider pick or a sudden surprise. Apple said he joined its product design team in 2001, became a vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013, and joined the executive team in 2021 as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.
The company said he has overseen hardware engineering across every major product category and was instrumental in launches including iPad and AirPods, as well as multiple generations of the iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
In the official announcement, Cook strongly supported Ternus, saying he has “the mind of an engineer” and “the soul of an innovator,” and called him “without question the right person” to lead Apple forward. Ternus said he was “profoundly grateful” for the chance and called Cook his mentor.
Cook leaves behind a larger services and wearables empire
Apple’s statement made clear that the company wants Cook remembered not just as Jobs’ successor, but as the executive who reshaped Apple into a broader and more financially diversified business.
The company said Apple Services grew into a business worth more than $100 billion, while Cook also played a major role in building Apple’s wearables category, including products such as the Apple Watch and AirPods.
Cook’s tenure also turned Apple’s manufacturing and supply chain into a long-term competitive strength.
Arthur Levinson, Apple’s longtime non-executive chairman, praised Cook’s leadership as unprecedented and outstanding.
Apple also said Levinson will become lead independent director on September 1, the same day Ternus formally becomes CEO.
What this means for Apple next
The leadership change comes at a delicate time for Apple, which remains enormously profitable but faces sharper questions around AI, product innovation, and how it will define its next era after the iPhone-driven boom.
Ternus arrives with deep roots in hardware, which may reassure investors looking for continuity in Apple’s product culture.
But the larger challenge will be broader than hardware alone: he will be taking over one of the world’s most valuable companies just as expectations rise for what Apple does next in AI, services, and new devices.
For now, Apple is stressing stability rather than big changes. Cook will still be involved, Ternus has been with the company for years, and the board is presenting this as the next step in a long-term plan.
Still, it’s a major moment: after 15 years with Cook as CEO, Apple is getting ready for a new leader and a new chapter.
