Apple CEO John Ternus Takes Over as Tim Cook Moves to Executive Chairman

John Ternus became Apple's chief executive officer on September 1, 2026, succeeding Tim Cook after 15 years of Cook's leadership. Cook transitioned to executive chairman of the board, where he will focus on global policymaking.

Apple announced the planned succession on April 20, 2026. The transition was described by Apple insiders as focused on continuity, with few operational changes expected.

Ternus, who previously served as Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, joined the board of directors as part of the change. Johny Srouji, formerly senior vice president of Hardware Technologies, took on an expanded role as chief hardware officer, assuming Ternus's former responsibilities. Arthur Levinson, who served as Apple's non-executive chairman for 15 years, transitioned to lead independent director on the same date.

A farewell celebration for Cook was held at Apple's Cupertino headquarters on August 23, 2026, attended by approximately 200 people, including industry figures and longtime colleagues. Cook participated in his final earnings call as CEO on July 30, 2026, where he expressed gratitude to shareholders and confirmed the upcoming change.

Under Cook's tenure, Apple grew from a company with a market capitalization of around $350 billion to one of the most valuable companies in the world. He oversaw the launch of the iPhone 4 through the iPhone 20 series, the Apple Watch, AirPods, and the company's expansion into services.

Ternus is known for leading the development of Apple Silicon, including the M-series chips that replaced Intel processors in Mac computers. Apple recently released a new Mac mini featuring the 2nm M6 chip, optimized for on-device AI workloads.