Apple has confirmed that John Ternus will become the company’s next CEO on September 1, 2026, when Tim Cook steps down and moves into the role of executive chairman. The move follows what Apple described as a long-term succession plan approved unanimously by the board.
Ternus is currently Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, a role he has held since 2021. In that position, he oversees the teams responsible for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and much of the company’s wider hardware business, which accounts for the majority of Apple’s revenue.
He first joined Apple in 2001 as part of the product design team, initially working on products like the Apple Cinema Display. Over the years, he climbed through the company’s engineering ranks, becoming vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013 under Dan Riccio. He later took on responsibility for iPad, Mac, AirPods, and eventually iPhone hardware before replacing Riccio as Apple’s top hardware executive in 2021.
Ternus has been closely involved in many of Apple’s biggest products over the last two decades. He helped oversee the original iPad, every generation of AirPods, the Mac lineup, Apple Silicon Macs, and the redesigned Mac Pro. In recent years, he has become one of Apple’s most visible executives, regularly appearing in keynote presentations to introduce new products.
According to Bloomberg, Ternus has increasingly been seen internally as Tim Cook’s likely successor because of his engineering background, his calm management style, and his strong relationships across Apple’s leadership team. He is reportedly well-liked inside the company and has been credited with helping improve product quality, battery life, connectivity, and hardware reliability since taking over Apple’s engineering teams.
Ternus is 50 years old, making him significantly younger than many of Apple’s other senior executives. That is seen as one reason Apple’s board favored him, as it could allow him to remain in the role for many years. Bloomberg previously described him as the youngest member of Apple’s executive team.
Before joining Apple, Ternus worked as a mechanical engineer designing virtual reality headsets. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1997. While there, he also competed on the university’s swimming team. One of his student projects involved developing a mechanical feeding arm for people with quadriplegia that could be controlled through head movements.
Unlike some of Apple’s more public-facing executives, Ternus has generally stayed out of the spotlight. When asked recently about speculation surrounding him becoming CEO, he said: “I love the job I have,” adding that he enjoys working with Apple’s teams and being part of product launches.
