NEW YORK, Mar 26 – Apple Inc. is preparing for its most consequential leadership transition since Tim Cook succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus emerging as the leading internal candidate to eventually take the company’s top job
Cook, who has run Apple since Jobs’s death, probably does not expect to be in the role for another 15 years. While he has given no indication of an imminent transition, he has made clear he wants his heir to come from within the company so he can serve as a mentor. The central candidate is John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, who oversees the development of the devices that generate roughly 80% of Apple’s revenue
As recently as March 2026, Cook said in a Good Morning America interview that he could not imagine life without Apple, describing retirement speculation as rumour and stating he had not said he was leaving
Apple has expanded Ternus’s role to include oversight of the company’s design teams, solidifying his status as a leading contender to eventually succeed Cook. Cook quietly tapped Ternus to manage the design teams at the end of last year, widening his portfolio to add one of the company’s most critical functions
At 50, Ternus is younger than many of the company’s other senior leaders, meaning he could hold the top job for an extended period. He has spent about half his life at Apple, cutting his teeth developing computer monitors, overseeing product design for the original iPad, and eventually taking over development of the Mac.
Since getting the top hardware engineering role in 2021, he has overseen an expansion in Apple’s product lineup, improving quality and focusing on functional improvements around battery life, performance, and connectivity
The consolidation of Ternus’s position has come against the backdrop of a broad executive departure wave at Apple. Key exits included AI chief John Giannandrea, who moved into an advisory role ahead of his 2026 retirement, and long-time head of user interface design Alan Dye, who left to join Meta. Veteran General Counsel Kate Adams and Environmental VP Lisa Jackson also announced their plans to retire, signalling a major generational shift within Cook’s inner circle
