Apple announced on Monday afternoon that Tim Cook will step down as CEO, a position he has held since 2011 after taking over from the late Steve Jobs.
Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus will assume the role of chief executive on September 1.
Cook will transition to the role of executive chairman, while Ternus will also join Apple’s board of directors.
Arthur Levinson, who has served as Apple’s non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, will become lead independent director, also effective September 1.
“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple,” Cook said in a statement on Monday. “I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers.”
When Cook joined Apple in Cupertino in 1998, he was not brought in as a visionary leader. Instead, Steve Jobs, who had recently returned to the company, needed someone to overhaul a supply chain widely viewed as inefficient and disorganized.
Cook, originally from Mobile, Alabama, United States, had spent 12 years at IBM, followed by roles at Intelligent Electronics and Compaq.
He quickly moved to streamline operations by shutting down excess warehouses and reducing the number of suppliers.
Over time, he has been credited with transforming Apple’s manufacturing and logistics system into a key competitive strength rather than a weakness.
His promotion to CEO was never a foregone conclusion.
For years, both inside Apple and across Silicon Valley, it was widely assumed that no one could truly replace Jobs.
Cook, by contrast, was seen as his opposite, a disciplined, detail-driven operations expert rather than a bold, product-focused visionary.
Still, during several periods when Jobs stepped back due to health concerns, in 2004, 2009, and again in 2011, Cook managed the company effectively and without disruption.
By the time Jobs officially passed the CEO role to him, Cook had proven himself and emerged as the natural choice.
