John Ternus

John Ternus was born in 1975 or 1976 and received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. While at Penn, Ternus competed on the men's swimming team, and for his senior project, he developed a mechanical feeding arm operable by individuals with quadriplegia using head movements.

Prior to Apple, John worked as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems, where he spent four years on virtual reality headsets and immersive technologies. He joined Apple in 2001 as a member of the product design team, working first on the Apple Cinema Display. In 2013, he was appointed vice president of hardware engineering under Dan Riccio, overseeing the development of the AirPods, Mac and iPad product lines.

In 2020, he was also put in charge of iPhone hardware, previously overseen directly by Riccio. He was promoted to senior vice president of hardware engineering in 2021, replacing Riccio, and was put in charge of Apple Watch hardware in late 2022. John Ternus, senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will become Apple's next chief executive officer effective on September 1, 2026.

Career history

• Virtual Research Systems, Mechanical Engineer (1997–2001)
• Apple Inc., Product Design Team Member (2001–2013)
• Apple Inc., Vice President of Hardware Engineering (2013–2021)
• Apple Inc., Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering (2021–2026)
• Apple Inc., Chief Executive Officer (September 1, 2026–)

What Ternus could bring to Apple as CEO: His engineering background matches where Apple is going as a company, exploring emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and mixed reality. At 51, Ternus mirrors Cook's age when he became CEO in 2011, positioning him for potentially a decade or more of leadership. Beyond product launches, Ternus had taken on responsibilities that extend well beyond traditional hardware engineering, influencing product road maps, features, and strategic decisions typically reserved for more senior executives.