Apple CEO Succession: How Tim Cook Handed Apple to John Ternus
Tech industryAppleCEO successionLeadership
Apple’s modern succession structure began when the board appointed Tim Cook CEO after Steve Jobs resigned in August 2011, with Arthur Levinson becoming non-executive chairman later that year. John Ternus rose from Hardware Engineering to Apple’s executive team in 2021, while Apple cycled through planned leadership changes in finance, operations, AI, legal, policy, and design during 2024–26. The board appointed Ternus CEO and director in April 2026, and the planned handover took effect on September 1: Cook became executive chairman, Levinson became lead independent director, and Johny Srouji took over Hardware Engineering. The remaining question is how responsibilities will settle under Ternus, particularly after the reported design and management changes and with Cook retaining an executive role focused in part on policymaker engagement.
Key moments
- Aug 24, 2011Steve Jobs resigns and the board names Tim Cook CEO
- Nov 15, 2011Arthur Levinson named non-executive chairman of Apple's board
- Jan 25, 2021John Ternus joins the executive team as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering
- Aug 26, 2024CFO transition: Luca Maestri to hand over to Kevan Parekh on January 1, 2025
- Jul 25, 2025Sabih Khan becomes Apple chief operating officer
- Dec 1, 2025AI chief John Giannandrea steps down; Amar Subramanya joins under Craig Federighi
- Dec 4, 2025General counsel Kate Adams and policy chief Lisa Jackson to retire; Jennifer Newstead joins
- Apr 20, 2026Apple announces Tim Cook will become executive chairman and John Ternus CEO on September 1, 2026
- Apr 20, 2026Johny Srouji named chief hardware officer, taking over Ternus's Hardware Engineering organization
- Sep 1, 2026Transition takes effect; Apple discloses Ternus's $3 million salary and $55 million equity target, Cook's $2 million and $45 million
Timeline
Earlier years show only their entries' dates and titles. Click a year heading to show the details.
202611 entries
- Response
John Ternus sends employees a memo on his first day as CEO
John Ternus sent Apple employees a memo on his first day as chief executive. He thanked employees for their warm wishes.
- MacRumors · Sep 1, 2026 ·
Today, on my first day as CEO, I just wanted to send a quick note to thank everyone for the warm wishes.
responded to Tim Cook endorses John Ternus in a memo to Apple employees.
Editor's note: The page states that John Ternus officially became Apple CEO on September 1, 2026 and sent his first memo to employees that morning. It includes the quoted sentence thanking employees for the warm wishes.
- MacRumors · Sep 1, 2026 ·
- RegulatoryKey moment
Transition takes effect; Apple discloses Ternus's $3 million salary and $55 million equity target, Cook's $2 million and $45 million
On John Ternus's first day as CEO Apple filed an amended 8-K setting his salary at $3 million, a prorated $2.5 million RSU award for fiscal 2026 and a $55 million target equity award for fiscal 2027, 75 percent performance-based. Tim Cook, now executive chairman, gets a $2 million salary from September 26 and a $45 million target award, half performance-based, that vests on retirement after the first anniversary of the grant.
- SEC EDGAR · Sep 1, 2026 ·
Mr. Ternus’ annual salary was increased to $3 million on the Transition Date.
- SEC EDGAR · Sep 1, 2026 ·
- Response
Tim Cook endorses John Ternus in a memo to Apple employees
Tim Cook told Apple employees that he was excited for John Ternus's leadership. Cook said Ternus understood how to build products that change the world.
- TechCrunch · Aug 31, 2026 ·
Few people understand what it takes to build products that change the world the way John does and I could not be more excited for his leadership.
was answered by John Ternus sends employees a memo on his first day as CEO.
Editor's note: The TechCrunch article states that on August 31, 2026, Tim Cook endorsed John Ternus in a memo to Apple employees. It includes the quoted sentence verbatim.
- TechCrunch · Aug 31, 2026 ·
- Report
Luca Maestri steps down from Corporate Services leadership
MacRumors reported that Luca Maestri stepped down from leading Apple’s Corporate Services organization in recent weeks. The report said he remained at Apple with no responsibilities other than hosting a class at Apple University.
- MacRumors · Sep 1, 2026 ·
Maestri stepped down from that position in recent weeks, and Bloomberg says he is still at Apple but has no responsibilities other than hosting a class at Apple University.
Editor's note: The MacRumors article states that Maestri stepped down from leading Corporate Services in recent weeks and remained at Apple solely to host a class at Apple University. The September 2026 node date matches the article’s September 1, 2026 publication date.
- MacRumors · Sep 1, 2026 ·
- Report
Phil Schiller steps down from leading the App Store and product events
Bloomberg News reported that Phil Schiller stepped down from leading the App Store and product events. The report described Schiller as an Apple executive from the Steve Jobs and Tim Cook eras.
- Bloomberg News · Aug 31, 2026 ·
Apple Inc.’s Phil Schiller, one of the most visible and influential executives across both the Steve Jobs and Tim Cook eras, has stepped down from his role leading the App Store and product events.
Editor's note: The page states that Phil Schiller stepped down from leading the App Store and product events and includes the quoted sentence verbatim. It says the change occurred “in recent days,” but does not provide an August 2026 event date.
- Bloomberg News · Aug 31, 2026 ·
- Report
John Ternus hires Laura Legros for his management team
Bloomberg News reported that John Ternus hired Laura Legros for his management team. Legros had been a vice president of hardware engineering until retiring in 2022.
- Bloomberg News · Aug 3, 2026 ·
Ternus has hired Laura Legros, who served as a vice president of hardware engineering until retiring in 2022, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Editor's note: The page states that John Ternus hired Laura Legros for his management team and that she had served as a vice president of hardware engineering until retiring in 2022. It says she will report to Ternus when he takes the CEO role on Sept. 1, which is consistent with the August 2026 timeline placement.
- Bloomberg News · Aug 3, 2026 ·
- Financial
Tim Cook says the quarter call will be his final earnings call
Tim Cook said Apple's fiscal-third-quarter call would be his final earnings call. He said John Ternus would lead subsequent earnings calls.
- The Motley Fool · Aug 7, 2026 ·
As you know, this will be my final earnings call, and John will lead these calls going forward.
Editor's note: The page states that the earnings call occurred on July 30, 2026, and quotes Cook saying it would be his final earnings call and that John would lead future calls.
- The Motley Fool · Aug 7, 2026 ·
- Report
Apple moves product-design oversight to Shelly Goldberg and Dave Pakula
MacRumors reported that Apple moved product-design oversight from Kate Bergeron to Shelly Goldberg and Dave Pakula. Goldberg and Pakula had previously been Bergeron's deputies.
- MacRumors · May 19, 2026 ·
The report said oversight of Apple's product design is moving from Kate Bergeron to two of her longtime deputies: Shelly Goldberg and Dave Pakula.
Editor's note: The page states that oversight of Apple’s product design is moving from Kate Bergeron to her longtime deputies, Shelly Goldberg and Dave Pakula. It is dated May 19, 2026, which supports the node’s May 2026 date.
- MacRumors · May 19, 2026 ·
- AnnouncementKey moment
Johny Srouji named chief hardware officer, taking over Ternus's Hardware Engineering organization
Image: Apple, press image · source · editorial use On the day of the CEO announcement Apple named Johny Srouji, senior vice president of Hardware Technologies and leader of Apple silicon since the A4, as chief hardware officer with immediate effect, adding the Hardware Engineering organization Ternus had run to his hardware technologies remit.
- Apple Newsroom · Apr 20, 2026 ·
Apple today announced that, effective immediately, Apple executive Johny Srouji will become chief hardware officer.
- Apple Newsroom · Apr 20, 2026 ·
- AnnouncementKey moment
Apple announces Tim Cook will become executive chairman and John Ternus CEO on September 1, 2026
Image: Apple, press image · source · editorial use Apple said Tim Cook would become executive chairman and John Ternus, senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, would become CEO effective September 1, 2026, after a unanimous board vote and what it called a long-term succession planning process. Cook would stay CEO through the summer and, as executive chairman, engage with policymakers; Arthur Levinson would move from non-executive chairman to lead independent director and Ternus would join the board.
- Apple Newsroom · Apr 20, 2026 ·
The transition, which was approved unanimously by the Board of Directors, follows a thoughtful, long-term succession planning process.
- Apple Newsroom · Apr 20, 2026 ·
- Regulatory
Apple's board appoints John Ternus CEO and director, effective September 1
According to the Form 8-K Apple filed on April 20, the board appointed Ternus, then 50, as chief executive officer and a member of the board on April 17, 2026, three days before the public announcement, with both appointments effective on the September 1 transition date. The filing noted that Ternus's compensation would be disclosed in a later amendment.
- SEC EDGAR · Apr 20, 2026 ·
On April 17, 2026, the Board appointed John Ternus, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board, in each case effective on the Transition Date.
- SEC EDGAR · Apr 20, 2026 ·
20256 entries
- AnnouncementKey moment
General counsel Kate Adams and policy chief Lisa Jackson to retire; Jennifer Newstead joins
Apple said Jennifer Newstead, joining from Meta, would become general counsel on March 1, 2026 as Kate Adams moved toward retirement in late 2026, and that Lisa Jackson would retire in late January 2026. Government Affairs was folded under the general counsel, and Environment and Social Initiatives moved under COO Sabih Khan. Within a week Apple had also lost design chief Alan Dye to Meta.
- Apple Newsroom · Dec 4, 2025 ·
Apple today announced that Jennifer Newstead will become Apple’s general counsel on March 1, 2026, following a transition of duties from Kate Adams, who has served as Apple’s general counsel since 2017.
- Apple Newsroom · Dec 4, 2025 ·
- Announcement
Apple plans to replace Alan Dye with Stephen Lemay
MacRumors reported that Apple planned to replace Alan Dye with Stephen Lemay. Lemay had been an Apple designer for more than 25 years.
- MacRumors · Dec 3, 2025 ·
Apple plans to replace Dye with Stephen Lemay, a longtime Apple designer who joined the company over 25 years ago.
Editor's note: The page states that Apple planned to replace Alan Dye with Stephen Lemay and describes Lemay as having joined Apple over 25 years ago. It is dated December 3, 2025.
- MacRumors · Dec 3, 2025 ·
- AnnouncementKey moment
AI chief John Giannandrea steps down; Amar Subramanya joins under Craig Federighi
Apple announced that John Giannandrea, senior vice president for Machine Learning and AI Strategy since 2018, was stepping down to advise the company before retiring in spring 2026. Former Microsoft and Google executive Amar Subramanya joined as vice president of AI reporting to Craig Federighi, with the rest of Giannandrea's organization moving to Sabih Khan and Eddy Cue.
- Apple Newsroom · Dec 1, 2025 ·
Apple today announced John Giannandrea, Apple’s senior vice president for Machine Learning and AI Strategy, is stepping down from his position and will serve as an advisor to the company before retiring in the spring of 2026.
- Apple Newsroom · Dec 1, 2025 ·
- Report
Tim Cook puts John Ternus in charge of Apple's design teams
MacRumors reported that Tim Cook put John Ternus in charge of Apple's design teams in the final months of 2025. The assignment expanded Ternus's responsibilities.
- MacRumors · Jan 22, 2026 ·
Apple CEO Tim Cook put Ternus in charge of the design teams the final months of 2025, expanding his responsibilities.
Editor's note: The page says Cook put Ternus in charge during the final months of 2025, expanding his responsibilities. It does not identify December 2025 specifically as the event date.
- MacRumors · Jan 22, 2026 ·
- AnnouncementKey moment
Sabih Khan becomes Apple chief operating officer
Apple's board appointed Sabih Khan chief operating officer effective July 25, 2025. Khan succeeded Jeff Williams under Apple's previously announced COO transition plan.
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · Jul 25, 2025 ·
As part of Apple Inc.’s (“Apple’s”) previously announced Chief Operating Officer transition plan, Apple’s Board of Directors appointed Sabih Khan, 58, as Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, effective July 25, 2025.
contradicts COO transition: Jeff Williams hands operations to Sabih Khan and retires later in the year.
Editor's note: The filing states that Apple’s Board appointed Sabih Khan as Chief Operating Officer effective July 25, 2025, under the previously announced COO transition plan. It also states that Khan succeeded Jeff Williams.
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · Jul 25, 2025 ·
- Announcement
COO transition: Jeff Williams hands operations to Sabih Khan and retires later in the year
Apple said Jeff Williams, long viewed as a potential successor to Tim Cook, would pass the chief operating officer role to Sabih Khan later in July 2025 as part of a long-planned succession, keep design, Apple Watch and Health until his retirement late in the year, after which the design team would report directly to Cook.
- Apple Newsroom · Jul 8, 2025 ·
Apple’s design team will then transition to reporting directly to Cook after Williams retires late in the year.
is contradicted by Sabih Khan becomes Apple chief operating officer.
- Apple Newsroom · Jul 8, 2025 ·
- Dec 4, 2025General counsel Kate Adams and policy chief Lisa Jackson to retire; Jennifer Newstead joins
- Dec 3, 2025Apple plans to replace Alan Dye with Stephen Lemay
- Dec 1, 2025AI chief John Giannandrea steps down; Amar Subramanya joins under Craig Federighi
- Dec 2025Tim Cook puts John Ternus in charge of Apple's design teams
- Jul 25, 2025Sabih Khan becomes Apple chief operating officer
- Jul 8, 2025COO transition: Jeff Williams hands operations to Sabih Khan and retires later in the year
20241 entry
- AnnouncementKey moment
CFO transition: Luca Maestri to hand over to Kevan Parekh on January 1, 2025
Apple announced that Luca Maestri would step down as chief financial officer on January 1, 2025, staying on to lead Corporate Services, and that Kevan Parekh, vice president of Financial Planning and Analysis, would become CFO as part of a planned succession. It was the first of a series of executive-team handovers ahead of the CEO change.
- Apple Newsroom · Aug 26, 2024 ·
As part of a planned succession, Kevan Parekh, Apple’s Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, will become Chief Financial Officer and join the executive team.
- Apple Newsroom · Aug 26, 2024 ·
20211 entry
- AnnouncementKey moment
John Ternus joins the executive team as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering
Image: Apple, press image · source · editorial use Apple moved Dan Riccio to a new project reporting to Tim Cook and promoted John Ternus, a Product Design hire from 2001 and a vice president of Hardware Engineering since 2013, to lead Hardware Engineering on the executive team. Cook called him a bold and visionary leader of the hardware teams.
- Apple Newsroom · Jan 25, 2021 ·
John Ternus will now lead Apple’s Hardware Engineering organization as a member of the executive team.
- Apple Newsroom · Jan 25, 2021 ·
20112 entries
- AnnouncementKey moment
Arthur Levinson named non-executive chairman of Apple's board
Six weeks after Steve Jobs's death, Apple named Arthur D. Levinson non-executive chairman. Levinson had been a co-lead director since 2005 and on the board since 2000; Disney CEO Robert Iger joined the board the same day. Levinson would hold the chair for the next fifteen years.
- Apple Newsroom · Nov 15, 2011 ·
Levinson has been a co-lead director of Apple’s board since 2005, has served on all three board committees— audit and finance, nominating and corporate governance, and compensation—and will continue to serve on the audit committee.
- Apple Newsroom · Nov 15, 2011 ·
- AnnouncementKey moment
Steve Jobs resigns and the board names Tim Cook CEO
Apple's board announced that Steve Jobs had resigned as chief executive and named Tim Cook, then chief operating officer, as CEO with immediate effect. Jobs became chairman and Cook joined the board. Art Levinson, speaking for the board, said Jobs had recommended the board implement its succession plan.
- Apple Newsroom · Aug 24, 2011 ·
Apple’s Board of Directors today announced that Steve Jobs has resigned as Chief Executive Officer, and the Board has named Tim Cook, previously Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, as the company’s new CEO.
- Apple Newsroom · Aug 24, 2011 ·
Cause and effect
- COO transition: Jeff Williams hands operations to Sabih Khan and retires later in the yearis contradicted by →Sabih Khan becomes Apple chief operating officerExisting node 227 gives July 8 as the COO handover date, while Apple's Form 8-K states that Khan's appointment as COO was effective July 25, 2025.
- Tim Cook endorses John Ternus in a memo to Apple employeeswas answered by →John Ternus sends employees a memo on his first day as CEOTernus's first-day memo followed Cook's employee memo endorsing his leadership and thanked employees during the transition.
Where sources disagree or fall silent
- Apple’s July 8, 2025 COO-transition announcement said Sabih Khan would take over later that month, while the subsequent SEC filing fixes his effective appointment date as July 25; the timeline relation identifies a conflicting July 8 handover date in the existing account.
- Apple publicly said John Ternus would become CEO and that Johny Srouji would take over Hardware Engineering, but it has not publicly detailed the division of authority between Ternus and executive chairman Cook beyond Cook’s policymaker engagement.
- Reports said Cook had placed Ternus over design teams in late 2025, then that product-design oversight moved from Kate Bergeron to Shelly Goldberg and Dave Pakula in May 2026; the precise final design reporting structure is not confirmed in an Apple announcement here.
- The published nodes announce Jennifer Newstead’s planned March 1, 2026 start as general counsel, John Giannandrea’s planned spring 2026 retirement, and Kate Adams’s expected late-2026 retirement, but do not independently confirm each later milestone.
What to watch next
- Sep 9, 2026 — Special Apple Event This is the first scheduled Apple Event after Ternus became CEO and an early public event under his leadership.
- Sep 26, 2026 — Tim Cook’s executive-chair salary becomes effective Cook’s $2 million executive-chair salary begins under the compensation arrangement Apple disclosed on Ternus’s first day as CEO.
- Mar 15, 2027 — First tranche of Ternus’s transition RSUs is scheduled to vest This is the first stated vesting date for the transition equity award associated with Ternus’s move to CEO.
- Sep 15, 2030 — Ternus’s transition RSU vesting period ends This is the final stated vesting milestone for Ternus’s initial transition RSU award.
Who is involved
- Applecompany
The company whose board planned and executed the CEO transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus.
- Tim Cookperson
Apple CEO from 2011 until September 1, 2026; he is now executive chairman.
- John Ternusperson
Former Hardware Engineering chief who became Apple CEO and a board director on September 1, 2026.
- Arthur Levinsonperson
Non-executive chairman 2011 to 2026; lead independent director from September 1, 2026.
- Kevan Parekhperson
Succeeded Maestri as Apple CFO in the planned 2025 finance transition.
- Craig Federighiperson
Apple software chief who became the reporting manager for Amar Subramanya after the AI leadership transition.
- Jeff Williamsperson
Former COO and a widely discussed Cook successor who handed operations to Sabih Khan and retired in 2025.
- Johny Sroujiperson
Named chief hardware officer in April 2026 and given Ternus’s former Hardware Engineering organization.
19 more
- Luca Maestriperson
Former CFO who handed the finance chief role to Kevan Parekh in January 2025 and later reportedly left Corporate Services leadership.
- Sabih Khanperson
Apple COO since July 2025; he also received parts of the former AI organization and environment and social initiatives responsibilities.
- Alan Dyeperson
Apple design chief whom reports said Apple planned to replace before he left for Meta.
- Amar Subramanyaperson
Vice president of AI who joined Apple in December 2025 and reports to Craig Federighi.
- Apple Board of Directorsother
Approved Ternus’s CEO and board appointments and the change of Cook’s and Levinson’s board roles.
- Dan Riccioperson
The prior hardware engineering leader whose move to a new project opened the executive-team role for Ternus in 2021.
- Dave Pakulaperson
Reportedly took product-design oversight with Shelly Goldberg in a May 2026 reorganization.
- Greg Joswiakperson
Apple executive named in reporting on Ternus's design responsibilities.
- Jennifer Newsteadperson
Incoming Apple general counsel under the announced March 2026 transition plan.
- John Giannandreaperson
Former senior vice president for Machine Learning and AI Strategy, who stepped down in December 2025 ahead of a planned spring 2026 retirement.
- Kate Adamsperson
Apple general counsel who is moving toward retirement in late 2026.
- Kate Bergeronperson
Former product-design overseer whose responsibilities were reportedly reassigned to Goldberg and Pakula.
- Laura Legrosperson
Former hardware engineering vice president whom Ternus reportedly brought onto his management team before becoming CEO.
- Lisa Jacksonperson
Apple policy and environment executive whose retirement prompted the reassignment of her organizations.
- Metacompany
The company from which Apple hired Jennifer Newstead and to which former design chief Alan Dye reportedly moved.
- Phil Schillerperson
Longtime Apple executive who reportedly stepped back from leading the App Store and product events in August 2026.
- Shelly Goldbergperson
Reportedly took product-design oversight with Dave Pakula in a May 2026 reorganization.
- Stephen Lemayperson
Longtime Apple designer reported to be planned as Alan Dye’s replacement.
- Steve Jobsperson
Apple’s former CEO, whose 2011 resignation triggered the succession plan that installed Cook.
Changelog
- Summary, key players and catalysts refreshed.
- Summary, key players and catalysts refreshed.
- Added 1 node(s): 2026-08 Luca Maestri steps down from Corporate Services leadership.
- Research run found 1 candidate node(s).
- Summary, key players and catalysts refreshed.
- Added 9 node(s): 2025-07-25 Sabih Khan becomes Apple chief operating officer; 2025-12 Tim Cook puts John Ternus in charge of Apple's design teams; 2025-12-03 Apple plans to replace Alan Dye with Stephen Lemay; 2026-05 Apple moves product-design oversight to Shelly Goldberg and Dave Pakula and 5 more.
- Research run found 10 candidate node(s).
- Research run found 8 candidate node(s).
- Seeded 11 hand-verified node(s) from apple-ceo-succession.yaml.
A research pass records each dated fact with the page it came from and a verbatim quote. A second, independent pass re-opens every cited page and rejects entries it cannot confirm. The editor reviews what remains before it is published, and every change is listed above. Full method.