After 15 years, Tim Cook’s chapter as Apple CEO is coming to a close. He announced that he will be transitioning to the role of Executive Chairman of Apple’s Board on September 1st, 2026. When making the decision to step down, Cook considered three main aspects: the company’s product roadmap, how well Apple is doing business-wise, and the readiness of his successor John Ternus, the senior vice president of hardware engineering. He also stated that he “will be here to support [Ternus] in any way he needs and in any way I can.”

Cook explained that he wanted the company to be in a good place before stepping down. He chose this time period to step down because “our business has been performing extremely well.” He also pointed out that Apple’s product roadmap is incredible. According to Macworld, a news outlet dedicated to following Apple’s product releases, Apple is likely to announce the iPhone 18 series in September, making it a great timeframe for the transition. Cook’s confidence in Ternus’s capabilities as a leader assured him that the company would be in good hands. “There is no one I trust more to lead Apple into the future than John Ternus,” he said on Apple’s earnings call on April 30, 2026. “John is a brilliant engineer, a deep thinker, a person of remarkable character, and a born leader. I know he will push us to go further than we think is possible in order to deliver the greatest products and services to our users.”

Cook has had a profound impact on Apple since he joined in 1998. During his 15 years as CEO, Apple’s market capital increased by over 1000%. He also helped Apple optimize supply chain operations by implementing a just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing model. According to Supply Chain editor in chief Sean Ashcroft, “Apple’s ability to launch, manufacture, and ship millions of iPhones globally like clockwork – with virtually no inventory surplus – is held to be a miracle of JIT.” Cook was also involved in launching Apple Watch and AirPods, both of which are products that have changed the way people think about and interact with technology. “I’ll always be proud of the impact that Apple has had on our users’ lives,” Cook said. 

While Cook is a supply chain and operations expert, Ternus’s expertise is in hardware engineering. He first joined Apple in 2001 as part of the product design team. Since then, he has been “a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count,” according to Cook. He has been involved in the development of many product lines such as iPad, Airpods, iPhone, and Mac. His team was crucial in developing the all-in-one hearing health system in Airpods. He has also been part of Apple’s sustainability efforts. He helped the company reduce the carbon footprint of its products through the usage of recycled aluminum and innovations that increased the lifespans of products. 

Due to his background, many predict that Ternus will take a hardware first approach as CEO. According to an article on This Week in Tech, some have expressed that focusing on hardware may cause Apple to fall behind other companies in AI advancements, especially since they have already proven to be slow to adapt to the AI trend. Others stand by the belief that Apple should continue to focus on hardware, as the company’s success has always stemmed from its trademark hardware products such as iPhone. 

“John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor,” Cook said, expressing his faith that Ternus is the right person for the job. “He is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future. I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman.”