The end of an era is upon us as Tim Cook will step down as CEO of Apple on September 1, after 15 years at the helm of the company.
Tomorrow, Apple’s head of hardware engineering, John Ternus, will become the company’s next CEO. Cook will remain with Apple as executive chairman of the company’s board of directors. In this new role, Apple said Cook will help with “certain aspects” of the company, including “engaging with policymakers around the world.”
Cook became CEO of Apple in August 2011, after Steve Jobs resigned due to health issues. Under his leadership, Apple has repeatedly become the most valuable company in the world and launched products and services such as Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, Vision Pro, Apple Music, Apple TV and much more.
Apple has set unprecedented quarterly revenue records in recent quarters. The company is therefore in a strong financial position as Cook hands over the reins to Ternus.
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Ternus (left) and Cook (right)“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to be able to lead such an extraordinary company,” Cook said. “I love Apple with all my being and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such resourceful, innovative, creative and deeply caring people who have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world.”
“John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator and the heart to lead with integrity and honor,” Cook said. “He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over the past 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is undoubtedly the right person to lead Apple into the future.”
“I’m filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come, and I’m so happy to know that the most talented people in the world are here at Apple, committed to being part of something bigger than any one of us,” Ternus said.
