Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO, John Ternus Named Successor

Apple said Monday that Tim Cook will step down as chief executive officer in September, bringing an end to a tenure that has defined the company for more than a decade. He will move into the role of executive chairman, while longtime company executive John Ternus takes over day-to-day leadership.

The announcement settles a question that had lingered quietly inside the technology industry for years. Cook, now 65, has led Apple since 2011, when he succeeded co-founder Steve Jobs during a period of uncertainty for the company. His transition marks the first change at the top in nearly 15 years.

In a brief statement, Cook described his time as CEO as the “greatest privilege” of his life, reflecting on a career that began at Apple in 1998. He rose through operational roles, ultimately becoming chief operating officer, where he built a reputation for tightening Apple’s supply chain and scaling production to meet global demand.

That operational discipline became a defining feature of his leadership. Under Cook, Apple expanded its product ecosystem and grew its market value to roughly $4 trillion. The company also deepened its reliance on China as a manufacturing hub, with most iPhones assembled there through partners such as Foxconn.

John Ternus, who will take over as CEO, has spent more than two decades inside Apple. He joined the product design team in 2001 and later rose to senior vice president of hardware engineering. Apple credits him with contributing to a wide range of flagship products, including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

In his own remarks, Ternus pointed to his experience working under both Jobs and Cook, describing the transition as a continuation of that legacy. His appointment signals a preference for continuity, with Apple turning to a leader shaped internally rather than seeking outside direction.

The leadership change comes as Apple reaches its 50th anniversary, a moment that coincides with mounting pressure around artificial intelligence. While rivals such as Google, Microsoft and OpenAI are advancing quickly, Apple has moved more cautiously, with delays affecting upgrades to its Siri assistant.

Some of Cook’s decisions have drawn scrutiny in recent years. A self-driving electric vehicle project was abandoned in 2024 after significant investment. Earlier efforts, including the launch of Apple Maps in 2012, faced early setbacks, prompting a public apology from Cook at the time. More recently, the Vision Pro headset, despite its technical ambition, has struggled to find a broad market at its high price point.

Still, Cook’s tenure is widely associated with stability and scale. Apple’s board chairman Arthur Levinson described his leadership as transformative, noting that the company’s values and direction have been closely tied to Cook’s approach.

Levinson will shift to the role of lead independent director once Cook assumes the executive chairman position, maintaining continuity at the board level as well.

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The transition arrives at a moment when Apple is being tested again, this time by a technological shift that could reshape its core products. For now, the company is preparing for a handover that stays firmly within its own ranks, even as expectations begin to gather around its next chapter.