Who Is John Ternus, Apple's New CEO?

TL;DR

John Ternus, Apple's 25-year hardware veteran and SVP of Engineering, will replace Tim Cook as CEO in September 2025.

Key Points

• 1.Ternus is a 25-year Apple hardware veteran replacing Tim Cook in September. At 50, he was the youngest serious internal contender by a decade, overseeing hardware behind 80% of Apple's revenue — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Vision Pro — since becoming SVP of Hardware Engineering in 2021.
• 2.His biggest challenge will be defining Apple's AI strategy. Apple has lagged behind Alphabet, OpenAI, and Anthropic; Ternus publicly dismissed concerns in 2023, and Apple is now reportedly developing AI wearables like smart glasses and pendants alongside a Gemini-enhanced Siri.
• 3.Johny Srouji is elevated to Chief Hardware Officer as part of the leadership reshuffle. Apple's long-time chip chief, whose proprietary silicon powers Mac and iPhone, will expand his role — and those custom chips are seen as Apple's key edge for running AI models locally on devices.