It turns out that the rumours were right. Apple\u00a0will\u00a0have a new CEO later this year.<\/p>\n
Apple has announced that its CEO, Tim Cook, will step down later this year. He will be succeeded by John Ternus, Apple\u2019s current senior vice president of hardware engineering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ternus will officially become Apple\u2019s CEO on September 1 later this year.<\/b> And according to Apple, the transition was approved unanimously by the Board of Directors and that it \u201cfollows a thoughtful, long-term succession planning process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Between now and September 1, Cook will continue in his role as Apple\u2019s CEO and will work with Ternus on a smooth transition. From September 1, Cook will become the executive chairman of Apple\u2019s board of directors<\/b>. In this role, Cook will continue to assist with \u201ccertain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world.\u201d Well, someone needs to deal with Trump, and Cook has had a pretty decent track record of doing just that.<\/p>\n
Cook became Apple\u2019s CEO in 2011,\u00a0taking over from\u00a0Jobs, and\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0span\u00a0of around 15 years, solidified Apple\u2019s position as a tech juggernaut.\u00a0He oversaw the launch of products\u00a0like\u00a0the Apple Watch, AirPods, Vision Pro, and also pushed\u00a0for growth in services, launching services like Apple Music and Apple TV.<\/p>\n John Ternus and Tim Cook at Apple Park.<\/p>\n Photo: Apple<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Cook said:<\/p>\n It has been the greatest privilege of my life to\u00a0be\u00a0the CEO of Apple and to have been\u00a0trusted\u00a0to lead such an extraordinary company.\u00a0I love Apple with all of my being, and I\u00a0am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n He also had kind words to say about his successor:<\/p>\n John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with\u00a0honor.\u00a0He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over\u00a025\u00a0years are already too numerous to count, and he is\u00a0withoutquestion\u00a0the\u00a0right person to lead Apple into the future.\u00a0I could not be more confident in his abilities and\u00a0his\u00a0character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as\u00a0executive chairman.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n As for Ternus, he\u00a0came to\u00a0Apple in 2001\u00a0and rose through the ranks to become\u00a0vice-president\u00a0of\u00a0hardware engineering in 2013.\u00a0In 2021, he was\u00a0made\u00a0senior\u00a0vice-president\u00a0of hardware engineering.\u00a0He is widely considered\u00a0to be instrumental behind Apple\u2019s recent run of hardware hits\u00a0like\u00a0the iPad Pro, iPhone 17 series, and MacBook Pro.<\/p>\n Ternus said:<\/p>\n I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple\u2019s mission forward.\u00a0Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been\u00a0lucky\u00a0to have worked under Steve Jobs and\u00a0to have\u00a0had Tim Cook as my mentor.\u00a0It has been a privilege to help shape the products and experiences that have changed so much of how we interact with the world and with one another. I am filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come, and I\u00a0am so happy to know that the most talented people on earth are here at Apple, determined to be part of something bigger than any one of us. I am humbled to step into this role, and I promise to lead with the values and vision that have\u00a0come to define\u00a0this special place for half a century.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Johnny Srouji, Apple\u2019s current senior vice-president of hardware technologies, will become Apple\u2019s new chief hardware officer<\/b>. According to Apple, he will \u201cassume an expanded role leading Hardware Engineering, which John Ternus most recently oversaw, as well as the hardware technologies\u00a0organization.\u201d<\/p>\n Rumours of Tim Cook stepping down have been gaining momentum since late last year, and many\u00a0were expecting an announcement to be made sometime early this year, which would give ample time for a smooth leadership transition ahead of WWDC in June and the iPhone launch in September.<\/p>\n Source: Apple<\/p>\n<\/div>\n