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Apple names John Ternus as next CEO

Apr 20, 2026, 6:12pm EDT
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John Ternus
Stephen Lam/Reuters

Apple named John Ternus as its new CEO effective Sept. 1, replacing Tim Cook, who led the US tech giant for 15 years.

Ternus, 50, currently leads Apple’s hardware engineering, and had been the clear frontrunner given his expanding portfolio, Bloomberg reported last month, describing him as a “nice guy” with a “Cookian eye for cost-cutting.”

Ternus, though, will take the helm of a company widely seen as behind the curve on AI.

As Apple hunts for its next generation-defining product, Ternus has been leading projects on developing AI-powered home devices, along with wearable, camera-equipped gadgets.

Another open question is how Ternus will approach China, as Apple looks to “reduce geopolitical concentration without denting margins,” CNBC wrote.

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