Apple CEO John Ternus is reportedly taking a far more hands-on role in the company’s design organization than his predecessor, regularly working inside Apple’s design studio as he begins reshaping the company under his leadership.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Ternus has immersed himself in Apple’s industrial design and human interface teams since becoming CEO, working hands-on in the studio several times each week and sometimes visiting multiple times in a single day.
That represents a notable change from Tim Cook’s approach. Bloomberg reports that Cook typically visited Apple’s design organization for around an hour each month while serving as CEO.
Ternus’ close involvement comes as Apple operates without a single traditional design chief overseeing both hardware and software design. Instead, the company’s industrial design and human interface teams are led separately, with Ternus now taking a direct role across the organization from the top of the company.
The approach reflects Ternus’ background as an engineer and longtime product executive. Before becoming CEO, he led Apple’s hardware engineering organization and oversaw development across major product lines including iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Ternus has already signaled that product development will be a major focus of his leadership. Recent reports have pointed to plans to reduce layers of management, give engineers more direct access to senior executives and move Apple toward faster, more frequent product launches.
His increased involvement in design could also give Apple’s CEO greater influence over decisions spanning both the physical appearance of future products and the software interfaces customers use on them.
The change comes during a particularly significant period for Apple’s product design teams, with the company working on new categories and major redesigns across its existing lineup. The Apple Post has reported that Apple is preparing a redesigned OLED MacBook Pro expected to be significantly lighter, while the company is also expanding into foldable devices and new smart home products.