Apple turning point: who is John Ternus, the man chosen to follow Tim Cook

The handover will take place on September 1st, while Cook will assume the role of executive president, while remaining involved in some strategic activities.

The change at the top after 15 years

At the helm of Apple since 2011, after Steve Jobs’ resignation for health reasons, Cook has transformed the company into one of the most powerful in the world. During his management, Apple achieved historic milestones: in 2018 it became the first listed company to exceed $1 trillion in value, reaching approximately $4 trillion today.

Cook will not abandon the Cupertino orbit, but will assume the role of executive chairman of the board of directors, where he will mainly deal with relations with global policy makers and support Ternus during the entire transition phase scheduled for the coming months.

The choice of Ternus reflects a desire for technical and cultural continuity for a company that has made the integration between physical design and software its distinctive trait.

Who is John Ternus

Internal management class, John Ternus has worked at Apple for 25 years and has long been considered one of the natural candidates for succession.

The future CEO operated under the leadership of Steve Jobs and consolidated his managerial profile as a close collaborator of Cook. Over the course of his career he has helped develop nearly every key product the company has released, including every generation of the iPad, many generations of the iPhone, and the launch of AirPods and Apple Watch. He also oversaw the transition of Mac computer processors from Intel to Apple silicon. In a statement Monday, he referred to Cook as his “mentor.” “I am full of optimism about what we can achieve in the years ahead,” Ternus said.

His appointment is accompanied by a strong statement of esteem from the outgoing management, which identifies Ternus as the figure capable of combining engineering rigor and strategic vision, qualities considered essential to lead the group in a constantly evolving technological market.

Cook described Ternus as a “visionary” executive with “the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator and the heart to lead with integrity and honor.” “He is undoubtedly the right person to lead Apple into the future,” Cook added.

Significant reorganizationEnter text

At the same time as the change at the top, the company implemented a significant reorganization of its operating divisions by appointing Johny Srouji to the new role of Chief Hardware Officer. Srouji, already responsible for the success of Apple’s proprietary processors, will take on expanded powers that include oversight of hardware engineering previously entrusted to Ternus. This move consolidates the entire technological development chain under a single leadership, marking a decisive step towards further centralization of the technical skills necessary to maintain Apple’s competitive advantage at a global level.