John Ternus – from mechanical engineer to ‘chosen man’ at Apple

“Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator and the heart to lead with integrity and honor,” Tim Cook commented on John Ternus in the announcement of the transfer of the Apple CEO position, expected from September 1.

Ternus, 51, is Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering. According to BloombergApple analysts and internal sources still consider him a bright candidate to inherit the position of general director at one of the most valuable technology companies in the world.

The prediction was further strengthened after Jeff Williams, the chief operating officer once considered Cook’s “most natural successor”, resigned in July 2025.

Mechanical engineer and swimmer

John Ternus was born in May 1975 in America. His journey to the top at Apple began at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), where he excelled both academically and athletically. He graduated in 1997 with a bachelor of science in engineering, majoring in mechanical engineering.

Not only did he focus on studying, he was also an excellent swimmer. According to a 1994 article above Daily Pennsylvanian, Ternus won both the 50-meter freestyle and the 200-meter individual medley at the school’s swimming meet, and became “the most decorated athlete of the UPenn men’s swim team of all time”.

After graduating, he joined Virtual Research Systems company as a mechanical engineer. Virtual Research Systems, while not widely known today, was an early participant in the virtual reality (VR) wave of the 1980s-1990s, specializing in VR headsets and immersive technology. Four years working there exposed Ternus to advanced display technology and human-computer interfaces, valuable experience for future Apple product development.

In 2001, he joined Apple and was a member of the Cinema Display product design team. This is a key period when co-founder Steve Jobs returned and revived the company, preparing to launch products that will reshape the mobile industry.

Path to advancement

Ternus made its mark quickly in just over a decade on Apple. In 2013, he was appointed vice president of hardware engineering, overseeing development of AirPods, Mac and iPad. In 2020, he continued to be assigned to be in charge of iPhone hardware.

By 2021, Ternus was promoted to Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering and was assigned to be in charge of Apple Watch hardware at the end of 2022. According to Fortunehe was the youngest member of Apple’s executive team, “charismatic and well-liked”. After that, he was a regular presenter of new products at Apple’s launch ceremonies.

CNN Ternus assessment is a combination of technical expertise and insider knowledge. His mark is present on every generation of iPad, AirPods and the latest iPhone lines. Besides, he played an important role in the process of converting Macs from Intel chips to Apple Silicon.

“Ternus has a foresight. His contributions to Apple over the past 25 years are too numerous to count. There is no doubt that this is the right person to lead Apple into the future,” Tim Cook affirmed.

“Ternus stands out,” says expert Mark Gurman Bloomberg write. “He is charismatic, highly regarded by Apple loyalists, and trusted by Cook. He has become a key decision-maker on product roadmaps, features, and strategy, expanding his influence beyond the traditional scope of a hardware engineering director.”

Also according to Gurman, there are many signs that Ternus was the “chosen person” to become Apple CEO from before. When the iPhone 17 generation went on sale in September 2025, Ternus welcomed customers at the Apple Store on Regent Street in London – something Tim Cook has often done at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York for many years.

Recently, Apple’s public relations team also “directed its attention to Ternus”, signaling that the company is preparing for a transition of power. Beyond product launches, he takes on responsibilities that go beyond traditional hardware engineering, influencing development roadmaps and strategic decisions typically reserved for higher-level executives.

At age 51, Ternus is the same age as Tim Cook when he became CEO in 2011. According to Reuterswhich sets the stage for him to hold the position for a decade or more. Ternus’ technical platform also aligns with Apple’s development direction – currently focusing on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and mixed reality.

Fortune According to the opinion, the choice of Ternus demonstrates Apple’s priority in developing internal personnel rather than seeking external leadership, and also shows the priority of technological innovation over pure operational excellence.

Apple under John Ternus is expected to focus more on hardware – something Tim Cook does “not really well” compared to Steve Jobs. “The difficulties the company faces with Vision Pro glasses and its efforts to compete in the field of AI show that technological leadership is what Apple needs for its next chapter,” this page commented.