End of an era: Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO

Apple announced that Tim Cook will become executive chairman of the board of directors, effective September 1, 2026, and John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, will become the company's new CEO, writes The site of the company.

The management change, unanimously approved by the Board of Directors, is the result of a thoughtful, long-term succession planning process.

Cook, working closely with Ternus, will continue to serve as Acting CEO through the summer to ensure a smooth transition. As Executive Chairman, Cook will assist with specific aspects of the company's operations, including liaison with government agencies worldwide.

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“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to become Apple’s CEO and lead such an extraordinary company. I love Apple with all my being and am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented, innovative, creative, and passionate team of people who are relentlessly committed to improving the lives of our customers and building the world’s best products and services,” Cook said. “John Ternus has an engineering mind, the soul of an innovator, and the character of a leader who acts with integrity and dignity. He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are invaluable, and he is clearly the right person to lead Apple into the future. I have complete confidence in his abilities and personality, and I look forward to working with him during this transition and in my new role as Executive Chairman.”

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue Apple’s mission,” Ternus said. “I’ve spent nearly my entire career at Apple, and I was fortunate to work under Steve Jobs and have Tim Cook as a mentor. It has been an honor to help create products and user experiences that have profoundly changed the way we interact with the world and with each other. I’m optimistic about what we can achieve in the coming years, and I’m thrilled that Apple is home to some of the most talented people on the planet who are passionate about being part of something bigger than each of us. I respectfully accept this role and pledge to lead with the values ​​and vision that have defined this company for half a century.”

Arthur Levinson, who served as Apple's non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, will become its lead independent director effective September 1, 2026. Ternus will join the board of directors effective the same date.

"Tim's leadership has transformed Apple into the best company in the world. He has brought revolutionary products and services to market time and time again, and his principles and values ​​permeate everything Apple does," Levinson noted.

Tim Cook joined Apple in 1998. He became CEO in 2011 and oversaw the launch of numerous products and services, including new categories like Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro, as well as services from iCloud and Apple Pay to Apple TV and Apple Music. He played a key role in expanding existing product lines. Under his leadership, Apple's market capitalization grew from approximately $350 billion to $4 trillion, an increase of more than 1000%, and its annual revenue nearly quadrupled, from $108 billion in fiscal year 2011 to more than $416 billion in 2025. The company significantly expanded its global presence, particularly in emerging markets, and now operates in more than 200 countries and territories. Apple operates more than 500 retail stores and has more than doubled the number of countries where customers can visit an Apple Store. During his tenure, the company's staff grew by more than 100,000 employees, and the active device base exceeded 2,5 billion.

Apple's services became a key focus under Cook and grew into a $100 billion-plus business, comparable to Fortune 40 companies. Cook played a key role in creating the wearables category, which now includes the world's most popular watches and headphones, and became the foundation of Apple's significant impact on user health and safety. Under his leadership, the company transitioned to its own processors, achieving significant gains in energy efficiency and performance.

Cook made Apple's core values ​​even more central to decision-making and product development. Under his leadership, the company reduced its carbon footprint by more than 60% compared to 2015 levels, despite revenue nearly doubling. A longtime advocate of privacy as a fundamental human right, Cook made data protection and security key priorities, setting the standard for the entire industry. He championed product accessibility, believing that Apple devices should be designed for everyone, and made the idea that Apple is a place where everyone can feel included and treated with respect a key part of his leadership.

John Ternus joined Apple's product development team in 2001 and became vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013. In 2021, he joined the leadership team as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. During his time at Apple, he oversaw the hardware development of numerous key products across all categories. Ternus played a key role in the launch of new product lines, including iPad and AirPods, as well as the development of iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.

Ternus's work on the Mac helped make the category more powerful and popular worldwide than at any time in 40 years, including the introduction of the MacBook Neo, an all-new laptop that makes Mac use more accessible. Last fall, his team unveiled an updated iPhone lineup, including the powerful iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, the ultra-thin and durable iPhone Air, and the iPhone 17. Under his leadership, significant improvements were made to AirPods, including advanced active noise cancellation and features that allow them to be used as a hearing aid.

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Ternus placed a strong emphasis on product reliability and durability, introducing new technologies to enhance their sustainability. He championed innovations in materials and designs that reduced the carbon footprint of products, including the use of recycled aluminum, 3D-printed titanium in the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and repairability improvements that extended the lifespan of the devices.

Before joining Apple, Ternus was a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

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