Tim Cook to step aside as Apple CEO, handing reins to John Ternus

Apple is entering a new chapter, with Tim Cook set to step aside as chief executive and transition to executive chairman, handing the CEO role to longtime hardware leader John Ternus.

The move, effective 1 September 2026, marks the first major leadership transition since Cook took over from Steve Jobs in 2011, closing one of the most stable and commercially successful eras in the company’s history.

Cook will remain closely involved in the business as executive chairman, focusing in part on global policy and strategic engagement, while working alongside Ternus during the transition.

Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, has spent more than two decades inside the company and has been central to the development of key product lines across iPhone, Mac and wearables.

His appointment signals a continued emphasis on product and engineering leadership at a time when Apple faces a new wave of competition and technological change.

Under Cook, Apple transformed from a product-led company into one of the world’s most valuable businesses, expanding into services, wearables and its own silicon, while growing its market capitalisation more than tenfold to around US$4 trillion.

But the timing of the transition is notable.

Apple enters its next phase as artificial intelligence begins to reshape how consumers interact with technology - from search and content discovery to devices themselves - placing new pressure on incumbents to evolve beyond existing ecosystems.

While Apple has historically taken a measured approach to emerging technologies, the pace of AI innovation is accelerating expectations across the market.

Ternus inherits a company with unmatched scale and brand strength, but also one that must define its role in an AI-driven landscape increasingly shaped by new entrants and shifting user behaviour.

In a statement, Cook described Ternus as “a visionary” and “without question the right person to lead Apple into the future,” while Ternus said he was “filled with optimism” about the company’s next chapter.

The transition follows what Apple described as a long-term succession plan, with board approval unanimous.

Arthur Levinson, who has served as non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, will move into the role of lead independent director, while Ternus will join Apple’s board.

For Apple, the shift represents continuity, but also a quiet reset. Cook stabilised and scaled the company in the post-Jobs era.

Ternus now steps in at a moment when the next phase may require something different.