When John Ternus assumes the role of Apple’s CEO in September 2026, he will become only the third person to hold this position in the company’s history, following Steve Jobs and Tim Cook. Although his name may not be widely recognized outside Apple enthusiast circles, here is some insight into the individual poised to lead one of the world’s most valuable companies.
At 51 years old, Ternus boasts a 25-year tenure at Apple, commencing his journey with the company’s product design team in 2001 as his second job post-college, with his initial role being at a virtual reality device company named Virtual Research Systems. By 2013, he had ascended to the position of vice president of hardware engineering, later being promoted to senior vice president in 2021. Notably, Ternus is 15 years younger than Tim Cook, with his youthful perspective making him an attractive internal candidate for the top job.
Reporting directly to Cook, whom he regards as a mentor, Ternus oversees all hardware engineering endeavors at Apple, a significant responsibility given the company’s foundation in physical products such as the iPhone and MacBook.
Ternus’s Apple journey commenced with meticulous scrutiny of components for the Apple Cinema Display, an early desktop monitor. Reflecting on his experiences during a commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania’s engineering school, he recounted engaging in detailed inspections at a supplier’s facility in the early hours, meticulously examining screw grooves through a magnifying glass and addressing discrepancies with suppliers.
Progressing from these humble beginnings, Ternus has been instrumental in numerous groundbreaking hardware launches at Apple, including products like AirPods, Apple Watch, and the Vision Pro headset. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in Apple’s transition from Intel processors to proprietary Apple silicon chips.
Most recently, Ternus played a key role in the development of the MacBook Neo, a more budget-friendly laptop model leveraging an iPhone chip to reduce costs while upholding Apple’s renowned quality standards. In an interview, he emphasized the company’s commitment to delivering exceptional products, stating, “We never want to ship junk. We want to ship great products that have that Apple experience, that Apple quality.”
In his commencement address, Ternus shared insight into his leadership philosophy, advising graduates to approach situations with the belief that they are as intelligent as anyone in the room while maintaining the humility to seek knowledge from others.
Drawing inspiration from Steve Jobs’s dedication to craftsmanship, Ternus recounted Jobs’s anecdote about a carpenter who meticulously finished the back of a chest of drawers despite it being unseen, a story that continues to resonate with him as he navigates his responsibilities at Apple.
Assuming leadership during a critical juncture for Apple, Ternus faces challenges surrounding the company’s advancements in artificial intelligence compared to competitors and the strategic trajectory of the Vision Pro platform. With a background rooted in hardware engineering, Ternus is expected to influence Apple’s strategic direction, aligning with the company’s history of prioritizing on-device processing and seamless hardware-software integration over cloud-based solutions favored by other industry players.
