Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO as John Ternus takes over 

Apple is entering a new leadership era as Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO and John Ternus takes over as the company’s chief executive. Cook, who joined Apple in 1998 and became CEO in 2011, will remain with the company as executive chairman. 

Cook became CEO after Steve Jobs resigned in 2011 because of health problems. Jobs died shortly after the launch of the iPhone 4s, but he remained involved in the development of the iPhone 5 series. The iPhone 5, 5s and 5c were therefore among the final models shaped by his design influence. 

Since then, Apple’s major product direction has developed under Cook’s leadership. His tenure has included the expansion of the iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods and other product lines, making the transition a significant moment for the company. 

The Apple leadership change in 2026 brings John Ternus into the CEO role after his tenure as Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering. At Apple, Ternus was responsible for hardware engineering teams working across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro. 

Ternus brings extensive hardware experience to the position. He has been associated with several recent Apple products, including AirPods, the iPhone Air and MacBook Neo. His background gives the new John Ternus Apple CEO era a strong connection to the company’s hardware development. 

The leadership change also marks the end of Cook’s day-to-day role as chief executive. Cook’s decision to remain as Tim Cook executive chairman means he will continue to have a role at Apple while Ternus takes responsibility for running the company as CEO. 

In a message marking his final day as CEO, Cook thanked the Apple community and described the transition as the beginning of a new chapter. His departure from the CEO position closes a 15-year leadership period that began after Jobs and places a longtime hardware executive at the centre of Apple’s next phase. 

With Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO, attention will now shift to how Ternus leads Apple’s hardware focused business while maintaining the company’s broader product and software ecosystem.