Apple announced this Monday that John Ternus, until now head of the hardware division, will assume the position of chief executive officer of the company in place of Tim Cook, who will take on the role of executive chairman.
In an official note, the technology giant has detailed that the decision has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors. "Cook will continue to serve as chief executive officer through the summer, while working closely with Ternus to ensure a smooth transition," Apple has reported.
In this way, in his new role as executive chairman, Cook will continue to be involved in the company's management and will provide support in specific areas, "including collaboration with policymakers around the world."
At the same time, the company has communicated additional changes in its executive leadership. Arthur Levinson, who has served as non-executive chairman of Apple for the past 15 years, will be appointed lead independent director as of September 1, 2026.
Fifteen years of Cook at the helm of Apple
Tim Cook joined Apple in 1998. He took over as chief executive officer in 2011 and has overseen the launch of numerous products and services, including new categories such as Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro, as well as services ranging from iCloud and Apple Pay to Apple TV and Apple Music.
During his tenure, he has also driven the growth of existing ranges. "The company has considerably expanded its global presence, especially in emerging markets; it is now present in more than 200 countries and territories," the company assures.
Regarding his successor, Ternus joined Apple's product design team in 2001 and went on to hold the position of Vice President of Hardware Engineering in 2013. In 2021, he joined the executive team as Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering.
Throughout his tenure at Apple, Ternus has overseen hardware engineering work on a wide variety of innovative products across all categories. He played a key role in the introduction of multiple new product lines, including the iPad and AirPods, as well as numerous generations of iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch products.
"Ternus' work on Mac has helped make this category more powerful and popular globally than at any other time in its 40-year history," the statement says.