Apple is accelerating succession planning for CEO Tim Cook. A hardware expert who has been with the company for almost 25 years is considered the internal favorite to lead the technology group.
• Apple has accelerated succession planning for CEO Tim Cook in 2025, according to the New York Times
• John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, is considered the favorite to succeed him
• The hardware chief led the transition of Macs to Apple’s own chips and introduced the iPhone Air
John Ternus: The silent favorite from the hardware sector
As the New York Times reported on January 8, 2026, Apple significantly accelerated internal succession planning for Tim Cook last year. Cook, 65, had signaled to senior managers that he was tired and wanted to reduce his workload, three people familiar with the confidential deliberations told the newspaper.
The favorite to succeed him is John Ternus, who as Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering is responsible for the development of iPhone, iPad, Mac and other devices. The 50-year-old has been at Apple since 2001 – almost a quarter of a century. That would make him the same age as Cook when he took over the helm from founder Steve Jobs in 2011. According to the report, Ternus has a calm, collaborative leadership style and deep knowledge of Apple’s global supply chain – traits also attributed to Cook.
Career shaped by strategic decisions
Ternus has made a name for itself through several groundbreaking projects. As the New York Times report shows, he played a key role in the transition of Mac computers from Intel processors to Apple’s own chips in 2020. The iPhone Air, which was introduced last year with its slim design, can also be traced back to his leadership. In addition, Ternus is involved in Apple’s experiments with foldable smartphones.
An example of his pragmatic approach: Around 2018, Apple was apparently considering including a $40 laser component for advanced augmented reality features in all iPhones. Ternus advocated only installing the expensive component in the “Pro” models. His reasoning: The most loyal Apple customers would appreciate the technology, while the average consumer would probably not recognize the added value.
Cook as future CEO – other candidates in the race
If Cook steps down as CEO, he would likely take over as chairman, according to New York Times sources. Such a transition would follow the pattern of other tech greats – such as Jeff Bezos at Amazon or Bill Gates at Microsoft. Under Cook’s leadership since 2011, Apple’s market value grew from around $350 billion to over $4 trillion.
However, Apple is not just preparing Ternus for a possible successor. As MacRumors wrote on January 8, 2026, citing the NYT report, software boss Craig Federighi, services head Eddy Cue, marketing boss Greg Joswiak and retail and human resources manager Deirdre O’Brien are also considered potential candidates. Apple’s next general meeting will take place on February 24, 2026 – a date that is eagerly awaited by observers.
D. Maier / editorial team finanzen.net
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Image sources: Andrew Burton/For The Washington Post via Getty, Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
