Apple has a new chief executive for the first time in 15 years. Tim Cook officially stepped down as CEO on September 1, 2026, handing the role to John Ternus, the company’s longtime head of hardware engineering. Cook isn’t leaving Apple entirely — he’s moving into the role of executive chairman of the company’s board of directors.
The transition wasn’t a surprise. Apple first announced the succession plan back in April, giving the company months to prepare for the handover before it officially took effect this week.
Who is John Ternus?
Ternus has spent his entire career at Apple, joining the company in 2001 as part of its product design team. He worked his way up through hardware engineering over more than two decades, taking on responsibility for major product lines including the iPad, AirPods, and Apple Watch along the way. He was promoted to senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in January 2021, and prior to that became a vice president of the division in 2013.
At 50 years old, Ternus is stepping into the CEO role at roughly the same age Cook was when he took over from Steve Jobs in 2011. In a statement, Cook praised Ternus’s engineering background and called him the right person to lead Apple going forward, pointing to his quarter-century of contributions to the company.
Ternus, for his part, described the moment as a chance to carry Apple’s mission forward, and credited Cook as a mentor during his time working under both Cook and, earlier in his career, Steve Jobs.
What changes for Tim Cook?
Cook’s new title as executive chairman isn’t a ceremonial exit. According to Bloomberg reporting cited by 9to5Mac, Cook’s focus in the role is expected to center on managing Apple’s relationships with the Trump administration and the Chinese government — two relationships he’s spent years cultivating, particularly as Apple has navigated tariff pressure tied to its manufacturing base across Asia.
Cook is also expected to keep his current office space, at least for now, according to Bloomberg, and The Information has reported that his longtime executive assistant will continue working for Ternus going forward. Reports indicate Apple held a farewell dinner for Cook at Apple Park last week, featuring tributes from Ternus, Laurene Powell Jobs, and other current and former executives, along with a performance from OneRepublic, one of Cook’s favorite bands.
President Trump also offered public praise for Cook this week, a detail that underscores how central that relationship has been to Cook’s tenure and how much it may still matter to Apple’s near-term strategy under Ternus.
The timing: a product event is days away
Ternus doesn’t get a quiet runway into the job. Apple’s “Surprise and shine” event is scheduled for September 9, just over a week after the CEO transition takes effect, and it will be Ternus’s first major product launch as chief executive. Cook will not appear at the event, which is expected to center on new hardware including a foldable iPhone Ultra, the iPhone 18 Pro, and new Apple Watch models — though final product details won’t be confirmed until Apple’s keynote.
That’s a fast introduction to the public-facing side of the CEO role for someone whose 25-year career at Apple has been built almost entirely in engineering rather than the spotlight.
Cook’s 15 years running Apple were, by most financial measures, the most successful stretch in the company’s history — Apple’s market value climbed to roughly $4.6 to $4.7 trillion during his tenure, and he oversaw the rollout of products and services including AirPods, the Apple Watch, Apple Pay, and Apple Music. Handing that off to an engineering-focused leader signals something about where Apple’s board thinks its next chapter needs to be fought: competing in AI, managing an increasingly complex global supply chain, and building whatever comes after the iPhone as the company’s core product.
Ternus takes over at a moment when Apple faces real pressure to prove it can keep pace in AI development against rivals who moved faster in that race. How he balances that technical challenge with the diplomatic and geopolitical responsibilities Cook is stepping back from — even while staying involved as chairman — will likely define how this transition is judged a year or two from now.
What to watch next?
The September 9 event will be the first real test of Ternus in the CEO seat, both in terms of product execution and public presentation. Beyond that, watch for how Apple’s AI strategy evolves under his leadership, and whether Cook’s shift toward government relations changes the tone of Apple’s dealings with Washington and Beijing in the months ahead.
