Apple’s next-in-line? Meet John Ternus, a hardware engineer who might become the CEO

Apple is planning several new entries in 2026. While the first iPhone foldable comes to mind, the company is also set to on-board a new CEO. The current CEO Tim Cook has recently hinted that he might put down his papers this year, but now the question is: Who’s next?

Several candidates have made the headline who are being considered for the next CEO. However, New York Times reported, a chief hardware engineer, John Ternus is the front-runner in this race. Ternus known for his calmness has been with the company for almost his entire career.

According to the NYT report, it was Ternus who added a tiny laser to iPhones to improve photos and power augmented reality in 2018. This did not only help Apple’s growth chart, but also made it what it is today. The 50-year-old has spent his entire career inside Apple’s hardware machine, and according to the media reports, his blend of engineering acumen and cool-headed management could make him the next person to lead one of the world’s most valuable companies.

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Who is John Ternus?

Long before his name began cropping up in CEO speculation, John Ternus was already deeply woven into Apple’s story. He arrived in Cupertino back in 2001, at a moment when the iPod was changing the way of music. While trends and products came and went, Ternus quietly stayed put, building a reputation as someone who understood the company from the inside out.

Over more than two decades, he steadily worked his way up Apple’s engineering ladder. Today, he sits at the centre of the company’s hardware universe, leading engineering across Apple’s most important devices — the iPhone, iPad and Mac. Few executives can claim to have influenced so many products used daily by hundreds of millions of people. One of his most significant contributions was helping drive Apple’s shift away from third-party processors to its own custom silicon, the NYT reported.

Ternus didn’t arrive at Apple straight from university. Before joining, he spent four years at Virtual Research Inc between 1997 and 2001, cutting his teeth in mechanical and hardware engineering. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, grounding his career firmly in technical fundamentals rather than business theory or marketing flair.

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At 50, Ternus would mark a clear generational handover if he were to take the top job. His background sets him apart from previous Apple leaders. Tim Cook rose through operations and supply chains, while Steve Jobs was defined by sweeping vision and stage-ready charisma. Ternus, by contrast, is very much a product of Apple’s engineering core, a leader shaped by schematics, prototypes and relentless iteration.

Those who work alongside him paint a consistent picture. He is described as precise, quietly spoken and obsessed with getting the details right. Rather than courting attention, he focuses on execution, fitting neatly into Apple’s famously private and disciplined culture. In Silicon Valley circles, his approach is seen as understated but formidable: calm, highly technical and driven by substance over spectacle. In many ways, he embodies the Apple that exists behind closed doors, measured, exacting and relentlessly focused on making things work beautifully.

Apple’s next CEO?

Ternus is considered the front-runner, though Cook has also been mentoring other senior executives as well including, software chief Craig Federighi, services head Eddy Cue, marketing lead Greg Joswiak, and retail and HR head Deirdre O’Brien, as possible successors.

Whether Apple’s board ultimately chooses him or another insider, the succession will mark a defining moment for the tech giant. As Apple eyes its next chapter, one that may hinge on AI, sustainability, and fresh product categories, the question remains: will its next leader play it safe, or dare to take the kinds of bold leaps that once defined its legend?

Either way, if John Ternus does get the top job, expect him to lead quietly, with the same steady precision that has guided Apple’s hardware for nearly a quarter of a century.