New Apple CEO John Ternus has taken the helm as of September 1, 2026, following Tim Cook's transition to executive chairman. In his first staff memo, Ternus thanked his predecessor and quickly turned to the company's immediate pipeline, writing, 'We have a huge launch next week that's going to be phenomenal. Thanks for everything you've all done to make it possible.' The memo, reported by Bloomberg and cited by The Verge, also references 'incredible products already in the works and the ones we haven't even imagined yet.'
The September 9 event is expected to unveil new iPhones, including the rumored foldable iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro models, as well as updates to Siri AI powered by Google's Gemini. Ternus, Apple's former senior vice president of hardware engineering, is a 25-year company veteran who joined the product design team in 2001. He was elevated to SVP in 2021 and has long been seen as a key architect of Apple's hardware lineup.
Cook, who led Apple for 15 years, wrote in a parting message to staff: 'I take enormous comfort in handing the helm to someone as brilliant and wonderful and capable as John. Few people understand what it takes to build products that change the world the way John does.' Cook remains at Apple as executive chairman.
Ternus assumes leadership at a time when Apple's yearly profit tops $100 billion, the company is valued at about $4.5 trillion, and iPhone revenue has hit records, boosted by renewed demand in China, according to The Guardian. The new CEO's background suggests continuity: he is a longtime insider who has worked under Cook for most of his career and is known for a collaborative leadership style. In a 2024 commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania, Ternus advised graduates to 'always assume you're as smart as anyone else in the room, but never assume that you know as much as they do,' reflecting a mix of confidence and humility that may define his tenure.