Ternus Is In, Cook Moves Up: Apple's Leadership Page Tells the Story

Apple has a new chief executive from today. As of September 1, John Ternus has officially taken over as Apple CEO, and the company has quietly made it official where it matters most, on its own website. Apple's leadership page now lists Ternus with the CEO title, while Tim Cook has moved into the Board of Directors section in his new role as Executive Chair.

The change was imminent after the world got to know that Tim Cook is serving his last days. Apple announced the succession back in April, saying Cook would hand over the reins on September 1 after nearly 15 years in charge. This is the first CEO transition at Apple since Cook himself took over from Steve Jobs in 2011, so it closes a long chapter for the company.

There is a small visual tell on the updated page too. Apple's board members were earlier listed only by name, but the section has now been expanded to include profile headshots, along with a fresh photo of Cook. The board currently reads as Tim Cook, Arthur Levinson, Wanda Austin, Alex Gorsky, Andrea Jung, Monica Lozano, Ron Sugar, Sue Wagner and John Ternus, who gets a seat by virtue of being CEO.

A hardware man at the helm

Ternus is not an outside hire. He joined Apple in 2001 on the product design team and was promoted to senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2021, overseeing engineering for nearly every major Apple product along the way. At 50, he is roughly the same age Cook was when he took over, which suggests Apple is settling in for another long innings at the top.

Cook is not disappearing either. As Executive Chair, he is expected to stay involved with policy matters and Apple's relationships with governments, an increasingly important brief given the company's global manufacturing and trade concerns, including its growing bet on India.

The timing is notable. Ternus steps in just days before Apple's September 9 event, where the company is expected to show off a foldable iPhone and new Apple Watch models. That launch will be his first big moment as the face of Apple, and Cook is reportedly sitting this one out.