Tim Cook is stepping down as chief executive of Apple after 15 years at the helm, ending one of the longest and most consequential leadership eras in the technology industry.
Cook’s final day as CEO is Monday, August 31, 2026, with Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, John Ternus, set to take over as chief executive on September 1.
Cook will remain at the company as executive chairman of Apple’s board. Apple announced the succession plan in April, saying it followed a long-term succession process unanimously approved by the board.
Cook became Apple CEO in August 2011, succeeding co-founder Steve Jobs.
At the time, he was widely known for his work overseeing Apple’s operations and supply chain rather than for product design, and his appointment came as he took over from one of the most influential figures in the technology industry.
Over the next 15 years, Cook established a leadership style centred on operational efficiency, global supply chains, services and expanding Apple’s product ecosystem.
Under his leadership, Apple introduced and expanded products and services including the Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple TV+ and Apple Music, while services became an increasingly important part of the company’s business.
Apple also became dramatically more valuable during Cook’s tenure.
The company’s market capitalisation grew from hundreds of billions of dollars when he took over to around $4 trillion, while Apple’s share price rose by more than 2,000 per cent over the period.
Cook also oversaw Apple’s transition to designing more of its own key technologies, including the company’s move to develop its own computer chips, strengthening its control over hardware and software integration.
The company expanded its global ecosystem during the same period, with Apple now having more than 2.5 billion active devices worldwide, according to recent reporting.
Who is John Ternus?
Cook will be succeeded by John Ternus, a longtime Apple engineer who joined the company in 2001 and has served as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering since 2021.
Ternus has been closely involved in the development of Apple’s major hardware products and has emerged as one of the company’s most senior engineering leaders.
He has played roles in the development of products including the iPad, Mac and other devices.
His appointment marks the first change in Apple’s chief executive position since Cook succeeded Jobs in 2011.
Ternus takes charge as Apple faces a new set of challenges, particularly in artificial intelligence, where the company has faced pressure to catch up with rivals that moved earlier and more aggressively into generative AI.
Analysts are also watching how he will approach Apple’s product pipeline and efforts to maintain growth at a company already valued in the trillions.
Cook’s transition does not represent a complete departure from Apple.
As executive chairman, he will remain involved with the company while Ternus assumes responsibility for day-to-day leadership.
The handover closes Cook’s 15-year tenure as CEO and begins a new chapter for Apple under an engineer who has spent much of his career helping shape the company’s hardware.
