Apple officially transitioned its leadership on September 1, 2026, as John Ternus assumed the role of CEO. Ternus, who previously served as the senior vice president of hardware engineering, now leads the company, while former CEO Tim Cook has moved to the board of directors to serve as executive chair.
The company updated its leadership website to reflect these changes, including a new photograph for Cook and an expanded biography for Ternus that highlights his contributions to Apple hardware. The board of directors section has also been expanded to include headshot photographs for all nine members, including Ternus and Cook.
Several other organizational shifts accompanied the leadership change. The number of executives listed on the leadership page has decreased by two, following the departure of former general counsel Kate Adams and the transition of Tim Cook to the board. Additionally, Jennifer Newstead has expanded her responsibilities to include government affairs, while other executives saw minor adjustments to their biographical descriptions.
Ternus takes the helm as Apple prepares for its upcoming fall media event scheduled for September 9, 2026. This event is expected to feature the introduction of the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra lineup, marking the first public-facing product launch under the new leadership.
The transition follows a long tenure for Cook, who became CEO in 2011. While the company has not yet named a replacement for Ternus's former position as senior vice president of hardware engineering, the leadership page updates clarify the current distribution of responsibilities among the remaining executive team.