John Ternus is now the CEO of Apple
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John Ternus has begun his first day as Apple's chief executive, taking over from Tim Cook in the company's first leadership change since 2011. Cook moves into the role of executive chairman on Apple's board, having used a farewell letter to staff to praise the company's culture and its "responsibility to leave the world better than we found it." The handover comes as Apple faces a reshaped senior team and mounting external pressures, including the rapid growth of AI, resulting shortages of RAM and other components, and an increasingly complicated political and economic environment.
Newly detailed changes to Apple's leadership show Phil Schiller stepping back from running the App Store and events to become an Apple Fellow, while Katherine Adams' role as head of government affairs has been vacated, with those duties passing to Jennifer Newstead and Cook himself, who is now effectively managing relations with the Trump administration. Former finance chief Luca Maestri no longer appears on the leadership roster, having moved to a corporate services role back in 2024. Ternus's tenure will get its first major test on 9 September, when Apple is expected to unveil new iPhones, including a rumoured foldable "Ultra" model.
- John Ternus has officially become Apple's new CEO, replacing Tim Cook
- Cook stays on as executive chairman; Phil Schiller becomes an Apple Fellow
- Apple's first hardware event under Ternus is set for 9 September
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John Ternus has taken over as chief executive of Apple, succeeding Tim Cook, who led the company for 14 years after replacing its co-founder, Steve Jobs, in 2011. Cook has moved into the role of executive chairman on Apple's board rather than leaving the company outright. Ternus previously headed Apple's hardware engineering, overseeing the design of products such as the iPhone and Mac.
The change comes at a time when Apple faces several pressures, including the fast pace of development in artificial intelligence, shortages of components such as memory chips linked to rising AI demand, and a more complicated global political and economic climate. Several long-standing senior executives who worked under both Jobs and Cook have also left or are stepping back from their roles around the same time, meaning Ternus is taking charge alongside a notably changed leadership team.
His approach is expected to become clearer at Apple's upcoming product event, where new devices are due to be unveiled, giving an early signal of the company's direction under its new chief executive.
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