Apple already prepares the ground for the replacement of its chief executive officer (CEO), or executive director. Although the withdrawal of Tim Cook does not seem to be imminent, the technology company already has multiple names in folder for when the time of succession arrives, with John Ternus as the best positioned.
After succeeding Steve Jobs More than a decade ago, the dance of names to succeed Cook in his position as CEO of Apple is more present than ever.
An agency report Bloomberg is quite specific, as it states, based on sources familiar with the matter, that if this change were to occur imminently, Tim Cook’s successor would be Jeff Williamsthe current chief operating officer, a position held by Tim Cook before becoming CEO of the three trillion dollar company.
A senior Apple executive confirmed the data and also signed that Jeff Williams had been the candidate to succeed Tim Cook in the last five years. In fact, it could be if the current CEO suddenly decides to leave. However, John Ternus It is today who has the advantage for a change in the medium or long term.
Who is John Ternus, Tim Cook’s possible successor at Apple
Ternus is the person who presented the iPad Air and iPad Pro at the last “Let Loose” event and has gained a lot of prominence in recent years.
Carry more than twenty years at Applemore than ten in the executive and his profile integrates design and engineering.
“I really like Tim because he can give a good presentation, he’s very calm, he never puts anything controversial in an email, and he’s very reticent when it comes to making decisions,” a person close to Apple’s executive team told Bloomberg.
And they added: “He has many managerial characteristics like Tim.”
However, another source in the case who spoke with Bloomberg described the 49-year-old executive as “too young” and that he was not an “innovator.”
They also noted that Ternus was behind the controversial introduction of the Touch Bar for MacBook keyboards, which was removed last year.
In summary and according to the report, Ternus is highly rated within the company and has praise from both Cook and Eddy Cue, another heavyweight within Apple.
In addition, there are other key factors: he is 49 years oldis responsible for hardware within Apple and in recent years has gained prominence at Apple events.
The rest of the candidates
A figure repeated at every global Apple event is Craig Federighisupervisor of the iOS operating system that boosts the iPhone (the company’s main source of income), as well as macOS, the operating system that powers Apple’s Macs.
But far from being just a software expert, Federighi has a quality that is critical for any Apple CEO: He has a deep understanding of the role technology plays in the modern world. He is very thoughtful about how he influences everything from our personal privacy to social cohesion and geopolitics.
Phil Schiller, head of the App Store and Apple Fellow, is about to retire. Therefore, it seems that Ternus is the best positioned candidate to fill the position of Apple CEO.
Phil Schiller’s influence goes beyond Apple. He’s considerated one of the main technological marketing gurus and an inspiration for many professionals in the sector.
His ability to anticipate trends and his ability to effectively communicate the benefits of technology left an indelible mark on the industry.
And then there is Jeff Williams, current chief operating officer (COO) of Apple. When you consider the sheer volume of products Apple makes and ships each year, it’s surprising that things run so smoothly. Much of that is because all of these operations are overseen by this 60-year-old man.
Before Cook became CEO in 2011, he was Apple’s chief operating officer. Many experts argued that an operations manager was not the right choice to follow in the footsteps of a creative visionary like Jobs.
Jeff Williams currently leads the company’s design team and oversees Apple’s burgeoning health initiatives, including health features built into the Apple Watch.