5 Things to Know About Apple’s New CEO – John Ternus

John Ternus has become Apple’s chief executive, ending Tim Cook’s 15-year tenure that saw the company’s value rise to nearly USD 4.7 trillion on the back of the iPhone’s dominance. Ternus takes charge of everything from software and devices to finance and legal, with the responsibility of articulating a vision for the company as it works to catch up in the AI race.

Here’s a closer look at the man now leading the world’s most valuable company.

1. Why He Was Appointed

Apple announced the succession plan in April 2026, naming Ternus as the next CEO while Cook moved into the role of executive chairman of the board.

“He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future,” Cook said at the time, describing Ternus as someone with “the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor.”

Ternus, in turn, said he intended to carry forward the company’s “values and vision” as he stepped into the role.

2. Career at Apple

Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 and has spent his entire career at the company. He became vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013 and joined the executive team as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2021, reporting directly to Cook, whom he considers a mentor.

3. Achievements

Over his tenure, Ternus oversaw hardware design for the iPad, AirPods, iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch, and led the company’s transition to in-house Apple Silicon chips. He was also a central figure in the development of the Vision Pro. Apple’s updated leadership bio credits him with introducing techniques that made products more reliable and durable, and with driving innovation in materials that reduced Apple’s carbon footprint, including a recycled aluminum compound and 3D-printed titanium used in the Apple Watch Ultra.

4. A USD 58 million Welcome

According to details disclosed in an SEC filing, Apple has set Ternus’s compensation at USD 58 million, comprising a USD 3 million annual salary and equity grants worth USD 55 million for fiscal 2027. He also received a prorated restricted stock unit award valued at USD 2.5 million for his service as CEO during fiscal 2026. Cook’s new compensation as executive chairman includes a USD 2 million annual salary and an equity award targeted at USD 45 million.

5. What Changes, What Stays

Ternus is expected to continue Cook’s focus on environmental sustainability and Apple’s carbon footprint goals, along with the company’s push on product durability and repairability. Where he is likely to diverge is strategy: on his first day, he signalled a hardware-first approach to AI, betting that Apple wins the AI era through devices rather than through competing directly on AI models.

His product pipeline reportedly includes a foldable iPhone, camera-equipped AirPods, smart glasses, and other sensor-rich devices designed to feed data back through Siri and Apple Intelligence, a departure from Cook’s tenure, which introduced three new product categories: the Apple Watch, AirPods, and Vision Pro.