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Apple made one of the biggest leadership announcements in corporate history on April 20, 2026: Tim Cook, who has run the company for 15 years and turned it into a $4 trillion giant, will step down as CEO on September 1, 2026. His successor is John Ternus, currently Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering and a 25-year company veteran.Cook will not disappear entirely — he transitions to the role of Executive Chairman, remaining involved at the board level while Ternus takes operational control.
::alert info
Official: Tim Cook becomes Executive Chairman. John Ternus becomes CEO on September 1, 2026. Apple announced the change on April 20, 2026 via its Newsroom.
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If you follow Apple product launches closely, you already know John Ternus — he's been the face of Apple's hardware presentations for years, taking the stage to introduce new iPhones, M-series Macs, and AirPods generations.
Born in 1975, Ternus earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997, where he also competed on the swim team. He started his career designing virtual reality headsets at Virtual Research Systems before joining Apple in 2001 as part of the product design team — his first project was the Apple Cinema Display.
Over 25 years, he worked his way up through every major hardware category:
- **2013** — Named VP of Hardware Engineering under Dan Riccio, overseeing AirPods, Mac, and iPad
- **2020** — Added iPhone hardware to his portfolio
- **2021** — Promoted to SVP of Hardware Engineering, replacing Riccio
- **2022** — Took charge of Apple Watch hardware
Ternus was instrumental in the M-series Apple Silicon transition — the chip family that transformed Mac performance and margins — and oversaw the modern AirPods lineup from concept to market dominance.
::keyfacts
- Ternus joined Apple in 2001 — 25 years ago
- He's a mechanical engineer by training
- He will be Apple's 8th CEO
- Effective date: September 1, 2026
- Cook becomes Executive Chairman (stays on board)
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## Tim Cook's 15-Year Legacy by the Numbers
For full coverage, visit https://www.linos.ai/technology/tim-cook-steps-down-john-ternus-apple-ceo-2026/
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