Market2026-09-01

John Ternus becomes Apple's chief executive on Tuesday. He replaces Tim Cook, who moves to executive chairman of the board. Cook's new mandate includes engaging policymakers around the world. Ternus led hardware engineering across Apple's whole product line. He joined the company in 2001 and is 51. Apple leads in smartphones but lags rivals in artificial intelligence. Analyst Dan Ives expects Ternus to focus on hardware and leave the supply chain alone. Some analysts had favoured software chief Craig Federighi for the AI challenge. Analyst Carolina Milanesi says buyers still choose hardware first. Ternus also faces Apple's reliance on China and pressure from the White House over US manufacturing.

What changed

Tim Cook had run Apple as chief executive since 2011.

  • Ternus, 51, joined Apple in 2001
  • Cook's 15-year run as CEO
  • iPhone event on September 9

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