Who is John Ternus, the incoming Apple CEO?

After serving as Apple’s CEO for 15 years, Tim Cook is set to pass the leadership baton to John Ternus, the senior vice president of hardware engineering. Starting September 1, Ternus will take the helm of one of the world’s most valuable companies. Despite his significant role, Ternus is not widely recognized outside of Apple enthusiast circles, having mostly stayed out of the public eye until now.

How long has John Ternus worked at Apple?

John Ternus has dedicated nearly half his life to Apple, having spent 25 out of his 51 years with the company.

Ternus began his journey with Apple in 2001, joining the product design team as his second job after college. His first position was with a small virtual-reality device company called Virtual Research Systems. By 2013, he rose to the position of VP of hardware engineering and advanced to senior vice president in 2021.

As one of the younger top executives at Apple, Ternus was frequently mentioned as a potential successor to Cook. This suggests Apple’s interest in ensuring long-term leadership continuity. The company has only seen two CEOs in this millennium, highlighting the value Apple places on stable leadership.

Ternus, who considers Cook a mentor, oversees all hardware engineering at Apple, a critical responsibility given the company’s reputation for iconic products like the iPhone and MacBook.

In a 2024 commencement address at the University of Pennsylvania’s engineering school, his alma mater, Ternus shared insights from his experience at Apple. These insights offer a glimpse into his character, albeit a polished version.

“Always assume you’re as smart as anyone else in the room, but never assume that you know as much as they do,” Ternus stated in the speech. “With this mindset, you’ll find the confidence you need to push forward, but more importantly, the humility to ask questions.”

In an industry often characterized by strong egos, Ternus’ emphasis on humility is noteworthy. Interestingly, he does not appear to maintain an X account.

What projects did John Ternus lead at Apple?

One of Ternus’ initial assignments at Apple involved examining components for the Apple Cinema Display, an early desktop monitor.

“During my first year, I found myself at a supplier facility far from home, using a magnifying glass well past midnight to count the grooves on a screw head. The parts had 35 grooves instead of the expected 25,” Ternus recounted in his commencement speech. “I remember pausing to question, ‘What am I doing here? Is this what’s expected?’”

As Ternus advanced within Apple, his role expanded. Although he may not spend as much time on minute details like screws, he remains committed to precision. In a recent interview, Ternus shared his favorite memory of Steve Jobs, highlighting Jobs’ attention to craftsmanship.

“Jobs once moved a chest of drawers, looked at its back, and admired the carpenter’s effort to finish it beautifully, even though it was rarely seen,” Ternus noted. “I think about that often because it perfectly represents our work ethic here.”

Ternus progressed to leading hardware development for various Apple products, including AirPods, Apple Watch, and the Vision Pro. He played a crucial role in Apple’s transition from Intel chips to proprietary Apple silicon.

Recently, Ternus contributed to the development of the MacBook Neo, an affordable laptop model that reduces costs by integrating an iPhone chip.

“We never want to ship junk. We want to ship great products that have that Apple experience, that Apple quality. To do that with the Neo required building something completely new from the ground up… leveraging both the technologies we’d been developing like Apple silicon, but also the kind of expertise that we’ve developed over many, many years of building Macs, and building phones, and building iPads, and all of these things,” Ternus told Tom’s Guide.

As CEO, Ternus will need to guide Apple through the challenges posed by the AI race and determine the future of the technology behind the Vision Pro.

What else do we know about John Ternus?

While at Penn, Ternus was part of the swim team. For his senior project, he developed a feeding arm controlled by head movements for individuals with quadriplegia.

Public records indicate that Ternus donated $2,900 to Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in 2021.

Apart from these details, Ternus has largely kept a low profile.