John Ternus Takes Over as Apple CEO

John Ternus has officially assumed the role of Apple CEO, replacing Tim Cook who led the company for 15 years. Ternus previously served as Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, bringing extensive product development experience to the position.

The Leadership Transition

Cook expressed confidence in his successor, stating: “I take enormous comfort in handing the helm to someone as brilliant and wonderful and capable as John.” He emphasized that few individuals possess Ternus’s understanding of creating world-changing products.

First Memo and Upcoming Launch

In his inaugural message to staff on Tuesday, Ternus expressed enthusiasm about Apple’s near-term plans. He wrote: “We have a huge launch next week that’s going to be phenomenal.” He also expressed optimism about future endeavors, mentioning exciting products in development and those yet to be conceived.

The September 9 Event

Apple is scheduled to host its annual iPhone event on September 9, with rumors suggesting the debut of the company’s first foldable iPhone. The event is also expected to feature an enhanced Siri AI system designed to compete with ChatGPT and Claude.

Future Product Pipeline

Reports indicate Apple is developing several innovative products, including camera-integrated AirPods, smart glasses, and a touchscreen laptop model, positioning the company for significant growth under Ternus’s leadership.

Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 and was the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering from 2021 to 2026. His appointment was announced on April 20, 2026, and took effect on September 1, when he also joined Apple’s board and Cook became executive chair.

Ternus has worked at Apple for 25 years and has overseen hardware development for iPads, AirPods and recent iPhone models. He became Apple’s eighth CEO in September, continuing a tradition of internal promotion at the iPhone maker.