Apple shakes up leadership: Tim Cook steps down, John Ternus takes charge

Apple is stepping into a major new chapter as it officially announced John Ternus as its next chief executive, replacing Tim Cook after his 15-year leadership of the tech giant.

Ternus, who currently heads hardware engineering and has been with Apple for 25 years, will take over on September 1, while Cook will transition into the role of executive chairman, BBC reported.

Cook, who became CEO in 2011 following Steve Jobs’ resignation due to health reasons, has overseen Apple’s transformation into one of the world’s most valuable companies. Under his leadership, Apple became the first public company to hit a $1 trillion valuation in 2018 and has since surged to around $4 trillion.

The leadership change comes after months of speculation about succession plans at the company, which recently marked its 50th anniversary. Cook praised Ternus as a “visionary” with a strong engineering mindset and leadership qualities, calling him the right person to guide Apple forward. Ternus, in turn, described Cook as his mentor and expressed optimism about the company’s future direction.

Ternus has played a key role in shaping nearly every major Apple product of the last two decades, from the iPhone and iPad to AirPods and Apple Watch, as well as overseeing Apple’s shift to its own silicon chips for Mac computers. His promotion is widely seen as a signal that Apple may be preparing to double down on product innovation after years of steady but incremental updates.

Analysts suggest the move could mark a shift in focus toward more experimental hardware and future-facing technologies, including foldable devices, wearables, and deeper integration of artificial intelligence. Critics have previously argued that Apple has lagged behind competitors in AI, often relying on external partners like Google and OpenAI.

While Cook is credited with delivering massive financial growth and operational strength, some industry voices say Apple now needs a new wave of breakthrough products to match the impact of earlier eras. With Ternus at the helm, expectations are rising that Apple may be ready to rediscover a more aggressive, innovation-driven identity.