Apple is undergoing its most significant leadership change in recent years: John Ternus has officially taken the role of Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Tim Cook, who led the company for 15 years. The transition has been recorded on the company's official website, where the Leadership section has been updated, and the new CEO has already sent an internal message to employees.
Transfer of Power After Cook's 15-Year Era
Prior to his appointment to the top of the company, Ternus held the position of Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering. Cook, in turn, has moved to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board and publicly endorsed his successor, stating that he "feels a tremendous sense of relief handing the helm to such a brilliant person," and noting that "few understand what it takes to create world-changing products the way John does." According to the company, the board of directors now displays portraits of all nine members, and Cook's biography has been expanded nearly threefold, with an emphasis on key achievements over the past decade and a half.
The New CEO's First Address and the September 9 Launch
Ternus's appointment coincides with preparations for the traditional autumn event, which will take place on September 9. In an internal memo, the new chief wrote: "Next week we have a huge launch that is going to be phenomenal," and emphasized that he is excited about the future products in development. Rumors suggest that at the event the company will unveil its first foldable iPhone and an updated Siri with expanded AI features, designed to compete with ChatGPT and Claude. Among the potential new products are also AirPods with cameras, smart glasses, and laptops with touchscreens.
Personnel Changes on the Leadership Page
In parallel with the CEO change, Apple made substantial revisions to the official Leadership section. Ternus has moved to the first position in the list, and his biography has doubled in length. The number of senior executives in the main roster has decreased by two: in addition to Cook's departure from it, General Counsel Kate Adams has retired. Ternus's role as head of the hardware engineering division remains vacant for the time being. Jennifer Newstead has taken on government relations responsibilities, and CFO Kevan Parekh officially oversees corporate services, including real estate and Caffe Macs. Phil Schiller is no longer listed as head of the App Store and Apple Events following his departure from those areas at the end of August, while the biographies of Johny Srouji and Deirdre O'Brien have been updated to clarify their long-standing contributions to the development of Apple Silicon chips and the company's structure.
Contradictory Data
The fact of the CEO change itself is officially confirmed: Apple updated its top-management page and published Ternus's address. However, the details of the upcoming September 9 presentation — in particular, the release of a foldable iPhone and an AI-powered Siri to compete with ChatGPT and Claude — remain at the level of rumors and leaks at the time of publication and have not been confirmed by the company. In addition, there are differing emphases in the media: some outlets frame the event as "the end of the Cook era," while the company itself and Cook himself stress the smoothness and continuity of the transition. These differences in framing should be taken into account when interpreting the news.
The Significance of the Leadership Change for the Market
The transition from Cook, who was associated with financial discipline and ecosystem services, to Ternus, whose career is tied to hardware development, may signal a shift in Apple's focus toward hardware and new form factors. The vacancy in the hardware engineering leadership role and the expansion of the authority of several top executives point to a restructuring of the management structure ahead of a major product cycle. For investors, the key factor will be how the new CEO handles the September 9 launch and whether he can maintain the pace of competition in the field of artificial intelligence.
