Apple announced that its CEO Tim Cook will transition to the role of the executive chairman of the company’s board of directors. John Ternus, the company’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will become Apple’s next chief executive officer effective on September 1, 2026.
Apple says Cook will continue in his role as CEO through the summer as he works closely with Ternus on a smooth transition. Cook’s role as executive chairman will assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world.
“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. 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,” Cook said.
READ: Who is John Ternus? Apple’s next CEO in 2026 (April 20, 2026)
He went on to praise Ternus, saying he had “the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor.”
Arthur Levinson, who has been Apple’s non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, will become its lead independent director on Sept. 1. Ternus will join the board of directors, effective from the same date.
According to reports, Cook’s new role will entail “engaging with policymakers around the world.” Ternus is a longtime Apple insider, who started in the company in 2001. He is “known for deft politicking inside the giant company,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
According to a BBC report, the biggest challenge for Ternus will be AI. Apple has been slow in jumping onto the AI bandwagon, choosing to incorporate OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini technology into its operating systems, unusually choosing partnerships over proprietary AI in this booming area of the industry.
READ: Apple to close Towson store, 2 others in US (April 10, 2026)
“Apple hasn’t thrown the kitchen sink at AI opportunities,” comments Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club. “There’s an expectation that John Ternus will continue this defensive strategy, without over-deploying capital, which seems sensible given concerns about an AI bubble potentially bursting.”
There has also been speculation about Apple’s relations with the Trump administration under Ternus. While Cook has made a point of describing himself as politically neutral, he did donate to President Donald Trump’s inauguration fund and he also gave him a rather elaborate statue with a 24-karat gold base as a gift.