Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO after 15 years, succeeded by John Ternus

Mubarak Bankole
Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO after 15 years, succeeded by hardware chief John Ternus
Tim Cook

Tim Cook, the chief executive of Apple, has announced he will step down from the role in September after nearly 15 years leading the iPhone maker, with John Ternus, the company’s head of hardware engineering, set to take over as CEO.

Cook, 65, will not leave the company entirely. He will transition into a new role as executive chairman, staying connected to the company he has led since taking over from co-founder Steve Jobs shortly before Jobs died in 2011. Ternus, 50, joined Apple in 2001 and will become the company’s eighth CEO since its founding 50 years ago.

Under Tim Cook’s leadership, the company’s annual profit quadrupled to over $110 billion, and its market value increased more than tenfold to $4 trillion, solidifying its position as one of history’s most valuable companies.

Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO after 15 years, succeeded by hardware chief John Ternus
Tim Cook

He established a global supply network that spanned from China to India and Brazil. He also significantly increased Apple’s retail presence across five continents. Furthermore, he revolutionised Apple’s services like iCloud, Apple Pay, and the App Store, making them major sources of income, now contributing about 25% of the company’s yearly revenue.

“He stepped into the world’s biggest shoes, the biggest shoes that anybody on the planet has ever had to step into, and he’s done an amazing job,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO from 2004 to 2014.

Ternus has big shoes to fill as Tim Cook departs

The new CEO is taking over a company facing serious challenges. Apple hasn’t released a successful new product line for the general public in a long time, and its 2024 launch of the Vision Pro augmented reality headset was largely seen as unsuccessful.

The company has also been slower than rivals to commit to artificial intelligence, staying largely on the sidelines as competitors pour hundreds of billions into AI development.

Ternus, in addition to dealing with product-related issues, also faces a complex geopolitical situation. Apple relies heavily on China for iPhone production, with approximately 80% of iPhones being manufactured there. This reliance has become more apparent due to the tariff policies implemented by the Donald Trump administration.

Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO after 15 years, succeeded by hardware chief John Ternus
John Ternus

Tim Cook had spent years as the technology industry’s leading diplomat, making regular visits to both Washington and Beijing to manage the conflicting pressures of two of the world’s most powerful governments. That role will now fall to Ternus.

Similar read: Apple leads 2025 global smartphone shipments with 20% market share and 10% YoY growth

John Ternus, who succeeded Apple’s longtime engineering chief Dan Riccio in 2021, oversaw the development of Macs and iPads on his rise through the company’s ranks.

In a statement, he said he was “filled with optimism” about what lies ahead.

“I promise to lead with the values and vision that have come to define this special place for half a century,” he added.

The leadership change will take effect in September.


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