ISLAMABAD: John Ternus, a long-serving Apple executive, is set to become chief executive of the company on September 1, taking charge of one of the world’s most valuable technology firms.
“Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been lucky to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as my mentor,” he said in a statement announcing his appointment.
Ternus currently serves as Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, a role in which he has overseen the development of key products including the iPhone, Mac and newer innovations such as the Apple Vision Pro.
Mechanical engineer
He has also contributed to major product lines such as AirPods and Mac devices, with his team playing a central role in developing the latest MacBook Neo and the iPhone 17 series.
He has been with Apple for around 25 years, having joined the company’s product design team in 2001.
Over time, he rose through the ranks, becoming vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 before joining the executive team in 2021.
Prior to Apple, Ternus worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems and holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Lasting legacy
His elevation to CEO has been widely anticipated, as he had emerged as a leading candidate for the role in recent years.
Ternus takes over from Tim Cook, who has led Apple since 2011 and overseen its rise to a market value of around $4 trillion.
“Cook leaves a lasting legacy in Cupertino and there will be a lot of pressure on Ternus to produce success out of the gates, especially on the AI front,” analyst Dan Ives said.
Industry observers say Ternus will face key decisions around Apple’s artificial intelligence strategy, an area where the company is seen as trailing competitors.
“Ternus is a hardware engineer, which signals that Apple will seek differentiation in its physical products even as it looks to reframe the device as a substrate for intelligent experiences,” analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee said.
