Meet John Ternus: the 50-year-old Apple genius tipped to replace Tim Cook

Cook is likely to step down as soon as next year.

John Ternus, an Apple engineer, is widely viewed as a top contender to succeed Cook.

The 50-year-old's technical expertise and experience spanning two decades made him a strong choice to head the company, which is aiming to bring hardware and AI innovation.

Who is John Ternus?

Ternus is the Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Apple.

He joined Apple in 2001 as part of its product design team.

He oversees engineering for major Apple hardware like the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and AirPods.

He played a key role in the Mac’s transition to Apple Silicon (M-series chips).

He has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

A former competitive swimmer in college, Ternus is being widely speculated as a potential successor to Apple CEO Tim Cook.