John Ternus Appointed as Apple CEO

By Ananya Rao / 21.04.2026

Apple has appointed John Ternus as its new chief executive officer. This change marks a significant leadership transition for the tech giant. Tim Cook will become executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors.

The Board of Directors approved the transition unanimously. Ternus has spent 25 years at Apple, joining the company in 2001. He was promoted to senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2021.

Cook became CEO in 2011. Under his leadership, Apple grew from a market capitalization of approximately $350 billion to $4 trillion today. The company’s yearly revenue also surged from $108 billion in fiscal year 2011 to more than $416 billion in fiscal year 2025.

Ternus has overseen hardware engineering work on groundbreaking products across every category. He will join the board of directors effective September 1, 2026. Arthur Levinson will become Apple’s lead independent director on the same date.

Tim Cook expressed his gratitude, stating, “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company.”

Ternus shared his appreciation as well: “I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward.” He acknowledged having worked under Steve Jobs and Tim Cook during his career at Apple.

Arthur Levinson praised Cook’s leadership: “Tim’s unprecedented and outstanding leadership has transformed Apple into the world’s best company.” This transition signals a new chapter for Apple as it continues to innovate under Ternus’s guidance.

Details remain unconfirmed regarding specific strategies Ternus plans to implement. However, expectations are high given his extensive experience within the company.