Apple announces Tim Cook will step down as CEO in September, with John Ternus taking over

Apple Inc. announced that current CEO Tim Cook will step down on September 1, 2026, to become the executive chairman of the board, with Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus succeeding him as CEO. Cook stated that leading Apple has been the honor of his life and believes Ternus is the right person to lead the company into the future. Ternus has committed to leading the company with Apple's core values, and during the transition period, Cook will continue to serve to ensure a smooth handover. This personnel change has been unanimously approved by the board of directors and is seen as the result of long-term succession planning