Apple is reportedly preparing hardware chief John Ternus to succeed Tim Cook as CEO, as the company begins a major leadership transition amid shifting priorities in AI and hardware innovation.
Apple is reportedly positioning its hardware engineering chief John Ternus as the leading candidate to succeed Tim Cook as chief executive.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, 50-year-old Ternus has emerged as the frontrunner to take over from Cook, who turns 65 next month.
Cook, who has led Apple since Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, is expected to remain involved with the company in some capacity – possibly as board chairman – when he eventually steps down.
Ternus joined Apple in 2001 and rose through the ranks to become Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering in 2021, overseeing product development across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac lines.
He has become an increasingly public figure at Apple events, introducing major launches like the iPhone Air and the redesigned MacBook Pro, and has earned a reputation internally for being both charismatic and technically sharp.
The potential succession comes amid a wider shake-up of Apple’s top ranks.
Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, once seen as Cook’s heir apparent, is preparing to leave by the end of the year, while other senior executives – including AI chief John Giannandrea and chip leader Johny Srouji – are said to be evaluating their futures.
Analysts believe Apple’s board may now see a technologist CEO as the right choice for the company’s next phase.
Under Cook, Apple has expanded into services and wearables, but has faced slower progress in areas like mixed reality, AI, and smart home technology.
Ternus’s appointment would mark a return to Apple’s product-first ethos, following in the footsteps of Steve Jobs’s design-led leadership and Cook’s operational precision.
Insiders reportedly see “little doubt” that Ternus will one day take the reins.
Apple ‘eyeing hardware boss John Ternus as CEO Tim Cook’s successor’
