Apple CEO Tim Cook Is Stepping Down - Here's Who Is Taking His Place

After spending nearly 15 years as the chief executive at Apple, Tim Cook is stepping down to take on the role of executive chairman of Apple's board of directors on September 1, 2026. John Ternus, who currently serves as Apple's senior VP of hardware engineering, will take his place. It's a move that has long been rumored to be in the works, but is now officially confirmed.

"It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company," Cook said in a statement on Monday, April 20. "I love Apple with all of my being, and I am 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."

Given the timing of the transition, it sounds like Ternus will be leading the charge when it comes to Apple's hardware slate this fall. For more than a decade, we've become accustomed to Cook being the first and last face we see at every Apple event, but with the first foldable iPhone rumored to launch this fall, Ternus will have a chance to be the face of a new generation of products.

Cook and Ternus won't be the only ones with new titles, as Apple also shared that Johny Srouji, who served as senior VP of hardware technologies until today, is now Apple's chief hardware officer. Srouji has been instrumental to Apple's chip-building efforts, and in his new role, he'll also be responsible for the hardware engineering segment that Ternus previously led.

"Johny is one of the most talented people I have ever had the privilege to work with," said Cook. "He has played a singular role in driving Apple's silicon strategy, and his influence has been felt deeply not just inside the company, but across the industry. He has always led his organization with remarkable deftness and judgment, and time and again, his team has delivered breakthrough innovations that have transformed our products. We are incredibly fortunate to have him as Apple's chief hardware officer."

Notably, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported late last year that Srouji was considering leaving Apple altogether in search of a more significant role. Based on Gurman's X post on Monday, all of these moves are connected as Apple tries to stop bleeding top talent. By stepping aside, Cook has cleared the way for his top executives to continue climbing the ladder.