John Ternus joined Apple in 2001|@theapplehub|X
Apple’s leadership transition is officially set for September 1, when current senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternus, will succeed Tim Cook as CEO.
While Steve Jobs was the visionary showman and Cook the operational titan who grew Apple’s market cap to $4 trillion in 15 years, Ternus represents a middle ground. He is described as a collaborative leader.
A UPenn graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Ternus joined Apple in 2001. His 25-year tenure has seen him evolve from a Product Design team member to the senior VP of hardware engineering in 2021.
He is credited with spearheading the engineering of the system components for the very first iPad and played a fundamental role in the creation of AirPods, Apple’s first 5G phones, and the transition from Intel processors to Apple Silicon.
Ternus also pushed for the recently launched, budget-friendly MacBook Neo, which sold out instantly.
With Apple entering the artificial intelligence race, Ternus reportedly reorganized the hardware engineering department earlier this month to accelerate AI product development.
His roadmap includes transforming Siri into a sophisticated chatbot, launching smart home wearables, and introducing a foldable iPhone.