John Ternus Takes Over as Apple CEO as Tim Cook Becomes Executive Chairman

4 Sept 2026, 10:48 pm · 8d ago · 1 min read · TechCrunch AI

Apple has officially entered a new leadership era as Tim Cook steps down as Chief Executive Officer, transitioning into the role of Executive Chairman. Former hardware engineering chief John Ternus has taken over as the company's new CEO. In his first memo to staff, Ternus signaled an immediate major product launch next week, aligning with Apple's upcoming hardware event. In his new capacity as Executive Chairman, Cook will concentrate primarily on global public policy, government relations, and strategic oversight, while Ternus assumes full operational leadership over product design, software integration, and corporate strategy.