John Ternus officially assumed the role of Apple's Chief Executive Officer on 1 September, following Tim Cook's departure from the position on 31 August. Cook, who oversaw a period of record profits for the company, has transitioned to the executive chairman of Apple's board of directors.
Ternus, a long-time Apple insider and hardware engineering executive, is expected to maintain the company's current strategic direction. Under Cook's leadership, Apple's yearly profit has surpassed $100 billion, and its market value is estimated at around $4.5 trillion. The company also achieved record iPhone revenue this year, partly due to increased demand in China.
Ternus, who joined Apple in 2001, previously served as head of the hardware engineering department from 2021. His work includes the development of Apple's proprietary silicon chips for Mac computers and the launch of products such as the Apple Watch and AirPods.
He faces pressure to advance Apple's position in artificial intelligence, an area where the company has reportedly lagged behind some Silicon Valley competitors. This includes a promise to revamp the Siri virtual assistant with Google's Gemini AI.