There’s a lesson to be learned from Apple’s leadership change

Samuel Buchmann

22.4.2026

Translation: Katherine Martin

A new era’s dawning in Cupertino. Tim Cook’s successor, John Ternus, strikes the ideal balance between continuity and being a breath of fresh air. Considering Apple’s identity, he’s the perfect fit.

While other CEOs cling to their position until well into old age, Tim Cook’s stepping down at the age of 65. He’s making way for a successor offering just the right combination of stability and new energy. Fifty-year-old John Ternus is young enough to stay on as CEO for at least ten years. At the same time, his proven track record has evidently earned him a great deal of respect from company employees. Tim Cook will stay at Apple in the capacity of Executive Chairman. He couldn’t have pulled off a better leadership transition.

The ideal candidate

I met John Ternus six months ago at the iPhone launch in Munich. He showed up at the press conference, attended by a small group of invited journalists, wearing trainers and a hoodie. Speaking to everyone like his equals, he patiently addressed our questions. He delivered his answers with classic Californian coolness, using plenty of superlatives, but never giving away any trace of arrogance or condescension. If I had to take a blank sheet of paper and sketch someone who embodies Apple’s identity, I’d draw John Ternus.

The CEO-designate graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. He then worked at a virtual reality startup before joining Apple’s product design team in 2001. This was during the golden age immediately following Steve Jobs’ return. In 2013, Ternus became Vice President of Hardware Engineering and took charge of the development of AirPods, the iMac and the iPad. In 2020, he added the iPhone’s hardware to his list of responsibilities. A year later, he was promoted to Senior Vice President and has been a member of Apple’s executive team ever since.

With Ternus’s appointment, a «product guy» is taking the helm of the global corporation. And rightly so. Tim Cook’s main focuses were efficiency and logistics. Apple came of age under his leadership, releasing solid products year after year. It’s only thanks to a perfectly optimised supply chain that great value-for-money products like the MacBook Neo can exist. Which is great, but kind of boring. Plus, it’s not the customers who reap the biggest benefits from Cook’s business genius – it’s the shareholders.

John Ternus can now build on this solid foundation while putting his own stamp on his tenure. It’s likely he’ll place more emphasis on innovation, while being willing to try out some more unconventional ideas. This approach can be both a blessing and a curse. In the past, for example, he was a driving force behind the hugely successful AirPods. On the flipside, he was also behind the unpopular MacBook Touch Bar and the fiasco that was the butterfly keyboard. It remains to be seen whether Apple’s products will improve while the company’s under his leadership or simply become more interesting.

Cook will still be the Trump whisperer

Most analysts had expected Tim Cook to step down in one or two years. They assumed he’d continue steering Apple through Donald Trump’s second term. He’s considered a skilled diplomat who knows how to get the US president on side. The fact that smartphones, computers and chips were suddenly made exempt from tariffs in April 2025 was likely down to Cook.

Tim Apple Cook has also faced criticism for his role as the Trump whisperer. For instance, when he gave the president a statue made of glass and gold. Or when he attended the premiere of Melania on the same day that Alex Pretti was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minnesota. These incidents seem difficult to reconcile with Cook’s personal beliefs, making him come across as hypocritical. He recently made the diplomatic argument that he was «not a political person», stating he was only representing Apple’s interests.

This is precisely the role he’ll continue to fulfil in the future. In his new role as CEO, Cook will, according to a press release, «assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world». This is a smart move. After all, John Ternus doesn’t yet have the connections necessary for a company to be successful in the current US political climate.

A well-thought-out choice

Apple’s appointed Johny Srouji to take over Ternus’s former position as hardware boss. Recently, there were rumours circulating that he might be leaving the company. This would’ve been a major loss, as Srouji, the architect of Apple’s in-house chips, has contributed greatly to the company’s success in recent years. By promoting Srouji, Apple has probably averted the risk of his departure. As an added bonus, Tim Cook isn’t just making him Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering – he’s creating a new title specifically for him: Chief Hardware Officer.

All in all, Apple’s leadership reshuffle seems very well thought out. By timing it immediately after the company’s 50th anniversary, it’s a symbolically perfect opportunity for a turning point. I’m looking ahead to Apple’s new era under John Ternus with optimism. He won’t throw the company’s core principles out the window, unlike what an external candidate might’ve done. At the same time, he might be a breath of fresh air and lay ground for more innovation. At an internal all-hands meeting, he announced an «incredible roadmap of products» for the near future. Something sorely needed on the AI front. I’m curious to see how this’ll go.

Samuel Buchmann

Senior Editor

Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.ch

My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.

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