Apple’s Next CEO? John Ternus Poised to Succeed Tim Cook

Apple’s long-serving hardware chief, John Ternus, has reportedly become the top contender to succeed Tim Cook as Apple’s next Chief Executive Officer, according to a new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Cook, who turns 65 next month, is expected to step down from day-to-day leadership while continuing to serve as Chairman of the Board, mirroring transitions seen at other tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle.

The leadership shift comes amid a broader executive overhaul. Chief Operating Officer John Williams, once considered Cook’s natural successor, has handed over daily operations to Sabih Khan and is preparing to exit the company.

At 50 years old, Ternus offers both technological depth and long-term leadership potential—qualities Cook himself embodied when he assumed the CEO role in 2011. Gurman notes that Apple’s future growth hinges on engineering-led innovation as the company grapples with mixed success in AI, mixed reality, and autonomous systems despite the popularity of its iPhone 17 Air and custom M-series chipsets.

Ternus, who joined Apple’s executive ranks in 2021, now oversees product roadmaps, design, and strategy decisions that extend beyond traditional hardware engineering. His increased influence and steady presence during major launches have made him the logical choice to guide Apple’s next chapter.

Meanwhile, Apple faces a wave of executive exits. AI chief John Giannandrea may step down after setbacks with Apple Intelligence and Siri’s revamp. Hardware technologies head Johny Srouji is also nearing retirement, with Zongjian Chen or Sri Santanam emerging as possible successors. Environmental policy lead Lisa Jackson is likewise expected to depart in the coming year.

As Apple navigates a rapidly changing tech landscape under Cook’s steady transition, Ternus’s potential appointmentsignals a return to Apple’s roots—placing a technologist, not a salesman, at the helm to steer its next decade of innovation.