No sign of Tim Cook stepping down, but Apple may already have his successor in John Ternus

The rumours of Apple’s long-running CEO succession may finally rest. Bloomberg reported that John Ternus, the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, has quietly taken charge of Apple’s design teams, a move widely seen as a step towards preparing him for the top job.

While CEO Tim Cook has not said anything about his retirement, Ternus seems to be the frontrunner in the CEO race. 

Ternus, 50, has been overseeing Apple’s hardware design since late 2025, after CEO Tim Cook reportedly expanded his responsibilities following the retirement of chief operating officer Jeff Williams.

The transition marks a significant internal shift, giving Ternus oversight of one of Apple’s most critical and closely guarded divisions: product design.

Design leadership signals grooming for the CEO role

When Williams retired last year, Apple initially announced that its design teams would report directly to Cook. However, sources told Bloomberg that Cook has since handed operational control to Ternus, effectively making him the executive sponsor of all design initiatives.

In this role, Ternus now represents design leaders in top-level meetings and serves as the link between Apple’s creative teams and its senior management.

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Giving Ternus authority over design is seen internally as a crucial test, both of his ability to preserve Apple’s design legacy and to manage competing priorities among senior leaders.

Cook’s decision also appears to be part of a broader effort to expose Ternus to more facets of Apple’s operations, potentially grooming him as his successor.

While design decisions are made by consensus, Bloomberg notes that Ternus now sits alongside software engineering chief Craig Federighi and marketing head Greg Joswiak in shaping Apple’s overall aesthetic direction.

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Steady leadership, but questions remain

Despite Cook’s growing trust in Ternus, sources suggest there are no imminent plans for the CEO’s retirement. Cook turned 65 last year, and his leadership remains stable amid Apple’s ongoing transition into new markets such as mixed reality, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicles. Yet within Apple’s ranks, the quiet grooming of Ternus is being closely watched.

Ternus is known for his even temperament, technical precision, and deep understanding of Apple’s supply chain, qualities that have earned him respect inside the company. However, some employees reportedly worry he may lack the charisma and geopolitical acumen needed to lead Apple on the global stage.

Others view his cautious decision-making style as too conservative for a company under pressure to innovate aggressively in the post-iPhone era.

Still, Ternus’s youth and long-term potential are undeniable. At 50, he is Apple’s youngest senior executive and could helm the company for decades if chosen. His rise from hardware engineer to senior vice president, and now de facto design head, underscores Cook’s faith in him as a safe pair of hands.

While Cook remains firmly in control, the growing prominence of John Ternus may be Apple’s clearest signal yet that the company is quietly planning for life after its longest-serving CEO.