Tim Cook is set to step down as Apple’s chief executive officer on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, bringing his nearly 15-year tenure as the company’s CEO to an end.
Cook will not be leaving Apple. He will transition to the role of executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors, where he will continue supporting the company on selected matters, including engagement with policymakers around the world.
John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will succeed Cook as CEO effective September 1. The leadership transition was unanimously approved by Apple’s board as part of a long-term succession plan.
Tim Cook’s Apple Legacy
Cook became Apple CEO in August 2011, succeeding co-founder Steve Jobs. During his time leading the company, Apple expanded its product and services portfolio with products including the Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Vision Pro, while also developing its own Apple Silicon chips and expanding services such as Apple Music and iCloud.
Apple’s financial scale also grew dramatically during Cook’s tenure. The company’s market value increased from hundreds of billions of dollars when he became CEO to several trillion dollars, making Apple one of the world’s most valuable companies.
John Ternus Begins a New Chapter
Ternus has spent 25 years at Apple and has led the company’s Hardware Engineering organization. His promotion marks a shift from Cook’s long tenure toward a new era led by an executive with deep experience in product development and engineering.
His first major public moment as Apple CEO will come just days after taking the job. Apple is scheduled to hold its major September product event on September 9, where it is expected to unveil its latest iPhone lineup and potentially introduce a foldable iPhone.
The change marks one of the most significant leadership transitions in Apple’s modern history, ending Cook’s 15-year run while keeping his experience within the company as Apple enters its next chapter.
