Apple has officially appointed John Ternus as CEO, ending Tim Cook’s 15-year tenure in the role. Ternus, 51, took over on September 1 after spending 25 years at Apple, where he most recently served as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering and oversaw engineering across the company’s major product lines.
Apple announced the leadership transition in April, with its board unanimously approving the succession plan. Cook remains at the company as executive chairman and will continue assisting with selected responsibilities, including engagement with policymakers.
Ternus Spent 25 Years Building Apple Hardware
Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 after working as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He became vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013 and joined Apple’s executive team as senior vice president in 2021.
His responsibilities eventually covered hardware engineering for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro. Ternus also played a major role in Apple’s transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon and helped lead hardware work on products including iPad, AirPods, iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
His earlier work at Apple included inspecting components for the Apple Cinema Display. In a 2024 commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania, his alma mater, Ternus described learning to combine confidence with a willingness to ask questions when others know more.
Recent Products Put Ternus in a Central Role
More recently, Ternus oversaw teams behind products including the iPhone Air and MacBook Neo. Apple said his work also covered improvements in durability, materials, repairability, AirPods hearing-health capabilities, and hardware design.
Ternus said the MacBook Neo required Apple to build a new product around lower-cost hardware choices while maintaining the company’s design and quality requirements. The laptop uses an iPhone-derived chip as part of Apple’s effort to offer a more affordable Mac.
Cook praised Ternus in a message to employees on his final day as CEO, describing him as a product builder with a strong understanding of Apple’s development process. Ternus previously reported directly to Cook and has described both Cook and Steve Jobs as important influences during his career at the company.
Ternus takes over shortly before Apple’s next iPhone launch event and as the company prepares to release an updated Siri experience powered by Google Gemini. His appointment places a longtime hardware executive in charge as Apple continues developing both its device lineup and AI-related products.
Outside Apple, Ternus studied mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and competed on the university’s swimming team. His senior project involved building a feeding device that could be controlled through head movements by people with quadriplegia.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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