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Englishعربي
Apple has named John Ternus, its senior vice president of hardware engineering, as the next chief executive officer, effective September 1, 2026. Current CEO Tim Cook will transition to executive chairman, continuing to guide the company on key matters like policymaker engagement while ensuring a smooth handover through the summer.
Ternus, a 50-year-old Apple veteran with 25 years at the company, has been a low-profile leader until now, overseeing hardware engineering since 2021. He manages roughly 80% of Apple's revenue-generating products, including pivotal shifts like the Mac's transition to Apple Silicon chips and the development of iPhones, iPads, AirPods, and recent innovations such as the iPhone Air and MacBook Neo, according to Apple's official announcement and reports from Bloomberg and Tom's Hardware. A mechanical engineer with a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Ternus joined Apple in 2001 on the product design team after working at Virtual Research Systems.
Cook's departure caps a transformative 15-year tenure that grew Apple's market capitalization from $348 billion to about $4 trillion, with annual revenue quadrupling to $416 billion. Under his leadership, Apple expanded beyond hardware into services like Apple Watch, video streaming, and financial products, as detailed in coverage from Bloomberg, BBC, and TechCrunch. In a letter to employees and the community, Cook expressed gratitude and confidence in Ternus, describing him as a "brilliant engineer and thinker," while memos from both executives emphasized continuity, per The Verge and Bloomberg.
The move fills the hardware engineering role with Johny Srouji, previously senior vice president of hardware technologies, who steps in as chief hardware officer effective immediately. Srouji outlined a reorganized team focused on five key areas, signaling Apple's commitment to innovation amid its push into artificial intelligence and new products like potential smart glasses, as noted by The Verge and analysts in New York Times discussions.
Analysts have praised the choice, with investor Ross Gerber calling it a "great move" and Technalysis Research predicting a "smooth transition" leveraging Ternus's hardware expertise to sustain Apple's AI focus, according to Bloomberg interviews. D.A. Davidson's Gil Luria described Apple as being in "good shape," highlighting the stability of the leadership shift.
This transition matters for a company facing intense competition in AI, global supply chains, and regulatory pressures. Investors and employees, who number in the tens of thousands worldwide, stand to be affected by how Ternus navigates these challenges, building on Cook's legacy of operational excellence. Cook's ongoing role as executive chairman positions him to handle sensitive policy issues, including relations with governments in the U.S., China, and India.
Looking ahead, Ternus will join Apple's board on September 1 and lead through a period of product launches and strategic pivots. The unanimous board approval underscores a deliberate succession plan, setting the stage for Apple's next chapter in a trillion-dollar industry dominated by hardware-software integration.