Goodbye Tim Cook: This is the Apple executive who has emerged as the favorite to succeed him
Apple's CEO could step down next year, and this vice president of engineering is poised to become the new boss at the Cupertino company.
Apple is facing one of the most pivotal transitions in its modern history: the eventual departure of CEO Tim Cook. According to reporting from The Financial Times, the company’s board and top executives have intensified internal planning to identify who will lead the tech giant into its next era.
And one name keeps rising to the top — even if Apple won’t confirm anything before its next earnings report in January 2026.
Why John Ternus is suddenly Apple’s most powerful internal candidate
John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, is now seen as the strongest internal contender to replace Cook. At 50 years old, Ternus has already become a central decision-maker in product roadmaps, hardware strategy, and long-term device planning.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman — a leading reporter on Apple’s internal developments — notes that Ternus has expanded his influence far beyond what is typical for a hardware chief, effectively becoming one of the most powerful voices shaping Apple’s future devices.
Sources close to Apple say a final decision hasn’t yet been made, but Ternus is the clear favorite.
His fingerprints are on Apple’s biggest breakthroughs
Ternus’ tenure includes some of the company’s most transformative engineering milestones:
- The transition to Apple Silicon, a historic shift that redefined Macs
- Major advancements in flagship products like the iPhone and Mac
- Leadership of Apple’s hardware division since 2021
His engineering leadership has helped define the look, feel, and performance of Apple’s most iconic devices — a track record that insiders say makes him uniquely positioned to take on the CEO role.
What changed for the other former top contender
For years, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams was widely seen as Cook’s most likely successor. But following news of his recent departure, Williams is no longer a candidate — opening the door even wider for Ternus.
Tim Cook’s legacy: from Steve Jobs’ protégé to one of tech’s most influential CEOs
Tim Cook’s rise inside Apple began long before he became CEO in 2011. He joined the company as senior vice president of worldwide operations in 2002 and was promoted to chief operating officer in 2005.
Steve Jobs himself publicly praised Cook’s leadership, saying: “Tim has been doing this job for over two years now, and it’s high time we officially recognized it with this promotion.”
Cook stepped into the CEO role just one day before the unveiling of the iPhone 4S, iCloud, and Siri — a trio of launches that defined Apple’s next decade.
Since Cook took over, Apple has introduced:
- 40+ iPhone models
- 15+ Apple Watch versions
- 40+ iPad models
Under his leadership, Apple became the first U.S. company to reach a $3 trillion valuation, solidifying his legacy as one of the most successful CEOs in history.
Cook has one clear wish for his successor
In 2024, during an interview with Dua Lipa on her podcast At Your Service, Cook made one thing clear: “I really want the person to come from within Apple.”
With that statement, many observers saw Ternus’ path to the top become even more plausible.
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