Tim Cook officially steps down as Apple CEO as John Ternus takes over

Tim Cook has officially stepped down as CEO of Apple after 15 years at the helm, with John Ternus taking over as the company’s new chief executive today.

The leadership transition, first announced by Apple in April, officially takes effect on September 1, 2026, bringing Cook’s tenure as chief executive to an end and beginning a new era for the company under Ternus.

The Apple Post reported in April that Cook would step down after nearly 15 years leading Apple, with Ternus selected to become the company’s next chief executive following 25 years at the company.

Cook isn’t leaving Apple. The longtime chief executive is transitioning to the role of executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors, where he will continue to be involved with certain aspects of the company, including engagement with policymakers around the world.

Cook has previously told Apple employees that he plans to remain at the company “for a long time” and that Apple will remain his top priority as he moves into the executive chairman role.

Ternus, who joined Apple in 2001 and most recently served as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, also joins Apple’s board of directors as part of the transition.

Apple said when announcing the change that it had been unanimously approved by its Board of Directors following a long-term succession planning process, with Cook and Ternus working closely together throughout the summer ahead of today’s handover.

Cook has strongly endorsed his successor. In July, Cook described Ternus as the “perfect person” to succeed him, saying the transition had been going “over the top great.”

Cook marked his final day in charge on Monday with an emotional memo to Apple employees, thanking staff for the “privilege of a lifetime” and expressing his confidence in Ternus.

“Few people understand what it takes to build products that change the world the way John does and I could not be more excited for his leadership,” Cook wrote.

Ternus now becomes one of only a handful of people to have held Apple’s top job.

Cook became CEO in August 2011 after Apple co-founder Steve Jobs stepped down from the position. During the 15 years that followed, Cook oversaw a dramatic expansion of the company, including the launches of Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Vision Pro, the transition of the Mac to Apple silicon, and significant growth in Apple’s services business.

Cook’s final day as Apple CEO brought to an end one of the most significant leadership periods in Apple’s history, during which the company grew to become one of the world’s most valuable businesses.

The change also reshapes Apple’s board. Arthur Levinson, who served as Apple’s chairman for 15 years, becomes lead independent director as Cook assumes the executive chairman position.

Ternus, meanwhile, enters the CEO role after spending around 25 years at Apple. He joined the company’s Product Design team in 2001 and became vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013 before joining Apple’s executive team as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2021.

During his time at Apple, Ternus has overseen hardware engineering across some of the company’s most important products, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and AirPods. He also played a significant role in Apple’s transition away from Intel processors towards its own Apple silicon chips in the Mac.

Responsibility for Apple’s broader hardware organization has already passed to Johny Srouji, who was named Apple’s new chief hardware officer following the announcement of Ternus as CEO.

Ternus takes control of Apple at a particularly significant moment for the company, with Apple’s annual September product event just days away.

The September 9 event will be Ternus’s first major product launch as Apple CEO, putting the new chief executive in the spotlight almost immediately after taking over from Cook.