Who is John Ternus, the man set to become Apple’s next CEO?

Ternus’s appointment will take effect on September 1, 2026.

In his new role, Tim Cook will serve as Executive Chairman of Apple’s Board of Directors.

Cook will continue as CEO through the summer, working closely with Ternus to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

John Ternus' journey with Apple

Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 and became a vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013.

He joined the executive team in 2021 as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.

Throughout his tenure at Apple, Ternus has overseen hardware engineering work on a variety of groundbreaking products across every category.

John Ternus, who is set to take over as Apple CEO. Photo: Apple official website

He was instrumental in the introduction of multiple new product lines, including iPad and AirPods, as well as many generations of products across iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.

Under his leadership, his team also drove advancements in AirPods to make them the world’s best in-ear headphones, with unprecedented active noise cancellation, as well as the capability to become an all-in-one hearing health system that can serve as over-the-counter hearing aids.

Prior to Apple, Ternus worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.