John Ternus as new Apple CEO: More decisiveness expected
With the start of John Ternus as Apple CEO in September 2026, the leadership style at Apple could change. He is considered more decisive than Cook.
Apple's future CEO John Ternus
(Image: Apple)
Colleagues of future Apple CEO John Ternus expect more decisiveness at the top of the iPhone manufacturer after the change in September. Ternus is thus following in the footsteps of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, according to a Bloomberg report. In contrast, Apple's current CEO Tim Cook preferred to weigh options longer and ask questions when presented with multiple choices. Ternus, according to named sources within the company, quickly reaches a decision – even at the risk of it being wrong sometimes. However, it remains to be seen whether he will transfer this habit from his current role as Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering to his new position.
With Ternus, the collective decision-making culture introduced by Tim Cook could end. Cook is said to have involved several top executives in tricky decisions. Under Ternus, the threads could converge more strongly with one person again in the future. "Whether right or wrong, but at least it's a decision," Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman quotes an insider.
Driving force behind MacBook Neo
Observers also report that Ternus has shown a good instinct for the right decisions on some key issues in recent years. For example, Ternus was skeptical about Vision Pro and the car project and spoke out against them. While the Apple car never reached series production and the project was discontinued, the Vision Pro does not live up to the claim made at the time that spatial computing is the future. It is valued in niches but has not achieved broad impact.
On the other hand, Ternus was the driving force behind the MacBook Neo. The cheapest MacBook primarily targets younger and price-conscious customer groups. It quickly sold out after its launch, and interested parties currently face waiting times.
Handover on September 1, 2026
Ternus will take over the CEO position at Apple on September 1. The 50-year-old joined the company in 2001 and holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Tim Cook, meanwhile, will move to the newly created position of Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. There, he will be responsible for government relations worldwide, among other things.
(mki)
