Who Is John Ternus? Apple Hardware Chief Set To Replace Tim Cook As CEO

The well-known company, recognised for its secure software, is now in the headlines not for its iPhone or iPad, but because its CEO, who took over after Steve Jobs, is set to step down. Tim Cook is officially stepping down as CEO of Apple Inc in September 2026. 

Before leaving the chair empty, Cook decided to appoint John Ternus as its next CEO, which reflects that the company has developed stronger hardware systems. 

Who Is John Ternus?

John Ternus, who joined Apple in 2011 as part of the product design team and later in 2013 became an important asset for the company by shaping its innovative hardware lineup as a Vice President of Hardware Engineering and later Senior Vice President in 2021 at Apple.

Ternus helps the company to grow sales of Mac, iPad and AirPods. He design he balanced product strategy by introducing pro and max models. His focus always remains on product development and innovation. While Cook built Apple into a global supply chain powerhouse and significantly increased its market value, Ternus is expected to prioritise the next wave of consumer technology.

As Tim Cook announced that he will step down as CEO, netizens began searching for the next CEO of iPhone maker, and curious social media users started searching into Ternus’ minimal LinkedIn profile. 

Meanwhile, John Ternus's LinkedIn profile looks simple. Not much information is available on his past life. He mentioned only a few pieces of information, such as the education he completed his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

The profile suggests two job roles: From 1997 to 2001, worked at Engineer at Virtual Research Inc. He then joined Apple, and now he has spent more than 24 years at the company. He currently reports to Tim Cook as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. He is in charge of all the hardware engineering, “including the teams behind iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, and more.”

Also Read | Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO after 15 years, John Ternus to take over in September.

About Ternus relationship details, he has not mentioned on anywhere in the profile about his personal life as there are also no publicly available details about his parents and background.

50-year-old Ternus has a net worth in the millions. A report from The Street indicates his annual base salary, at his current position, is likely around $1 million.