End of an Era: Cook Steps Down as Apple CEO, John Ternus to Take the Helm

It's been a few months since speculation started about the potential retirement or departure of Apple CEO, Tim Cook. The internet was abuzz full of names of candidates that might succeed him after his near-fifteen year tenure, what kind of timeline that might happen under, and a host of other unknowns. But today, we at least have the name. Tim Cook will be succeeded as Apple CEO by Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, John Ternus. 

In retrospect, Apple's recent announcements seem to have Ternus' name all over them. He was out in front giving quotes in press releases when Apple announced the cost-effective MacBook Neo, and he's certainly had an elevated presence every time Apple talks about hardware at its live events. The MacBook Neo is such a wild departure from Apple's established forty-year history of selling premium products, that we wonder if it would have happened without this impending change of leadership. 

Ternus has been at Apple since 2001 as a member of its product design team, and in 2013 stepped into the role of SVP of Hardware Engineering. He's been a member of Apple's senior executive team since 2021, and had long been rumored to be Cook's replacement-in-waiting. Apple says Ternus has been an internal champion of reliability and durability over his tenure. Apple credits Ternus for increase repairability of its products, as well as innovations in materials that reduced the carbon footprint of the company's devices. Suffice to say that he has a wealth of knowledge and experience that he's gained during his time at Apple, and the company will continue to benefit from that. 


Cook has been with Apple since 1998, and has been credited by many with driving the supply chain relationships that have allowed Apple to weather the storm in an era of component shortages. The $599 MacBook Neo up to the current lineup of M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models at prices that didn't shoot through the roof are a testament to the company's ability to stand tall in an unsure market. Increased services revenue through offerings like expanded Apple TV, Apple Music, and iCloud offerings brought additional revenue to the company through means other than hardware under his watch. Ternus has big shoes to fill in Cupertino.

In a letter to Apple users across the world, Cook said of Ternus:

John cares so much about who we are at Apple, what we do at Apple, who we reach at Apple, and he has the heart and character to lead with extraordinary integrity. I am so proud to call him Apple’s next CEO. This company will reach such incredible heights under his leadership, and you will feel his impact in every bit of delight and discovery that grows out of the products and services to come. I can’t wait for you to get to know him like I do.

Of course, this is a friendly departure for Tim Cook, who will become the company's Executive Chairman of Apple's Board of Directors. Cook isn't going anywhere until September 1, as he will work with Ternus to ensure a smooth transition. In Apple's press release, the company says that once that date comes and he assumes Executive Chairman duties, Cook will continue to have a hand in guiding Apple for the foreseeable future. Current board chairman, Arthur Levinson, will become Apple's first-ever lead independent director. Meanwhile, Johny Srouji will take over for Ternus as Apple's chief hardware officer. This is a new day for Apple, and we'll be interested to see where the company goes from here under Temus' leadership.