Tim Cook’s time as Apple’s CEO is over. September 1 marked the end. That’s fifteen years since he took over from Steve Jobs. Now the job belongs to John Ternus, who ran hardware engineering for years. Cook isn’t gone, though. He’s moved into a new role: executive chairman.
People throw around the phrase “end of an era” too easily these days. But this time it actually applies. Cook took the reins in 2011, when Apple was worth about $350 billion. He’s leaving behind one of the most valuable companies in the world. Along the way came the Apple Watch, AirPods, and fifteen years of iPhone, iPad, and Mac updates.
This Wasn’t Sudden
Apple made a point of showing this was planned. Not rushed. People had been talking about Cook’s exit for over a year. Ternus kept coming up as the obvious pick. He’d been more visible lately — more product launches, more store visits. Apple confirmed the move back in April. That gave everyone months to process it instead of getting blindsided.
Ternus didn’t come from outside. He joined Apple in 2001, straight into the product design team. Over two decades, he worked his way up. VP of hardware engineering by 2013. Senior VP by 2021. Along the way, he took charge of the iPad, Mac, AirPods, and iPhone lines. Those are the products people actually think of when they think “Apple.”
What Changes, What Doesn’t
Cook isn’t disappearing. As executive chairman, he’ll keep working the parts of the job that live outside product decisions. Think regulators. Government relationships. That’s reportedly been his territory for years anyway. He’s said he’ll stay available for whatever Ternus needs from him. So this isn’t really an exit. It’s more of a shift in duties.
Ternus takes over Cook’s old office at Apple Park. Cook’s assistant is staying on, now working for the new CEO. And Arthur Levinson, who spent fifteen years as Apple’s non-executive chairman, is moving too. He becomes lead independent director, effective the same day.
Cook’s Message to His Team
Cook sent a memo to Apple staff on his last day. 9to5Mac got hold of it, and it doesn’t read like a typical company announcement. It reads like a letter to people he genuinely cares about.
He gave the credit to his team, not himself. He called them the most extraordinary group he’d ever worked with. He talked about Apple’s culture as the thing that actually matters most — more than any single product, more than the numbers. To him, that culture didn’t start with Apple. It lived in the people first.
He was clear about one thing: this isn’t goodbye. He’s not leaving the company, just the title. Handing things to Ternus, he said, brought him real comfort. He trusts him completely. He closed by telling staff he hoped they’d stay proud of what they’ve built together, and that he’s looking forward to seeing them around campus in his new role.
Apple threw Cook a real send-off before all this became official. There was a farewell event on campus the week before. Ternus spoke. Other executives spoke too. One of Cook’s favorite bands even performed.
Cook’s Message in Full
“Team,
Today is my last day as CEO of Apple. This is a moment I always knew would come one day, and yet it is still hard to believe it has arrived and I am writing these words. I love this company and the team behind it, and I couldn’t let this day pass without sending a note to you, to tell you how grateful I am for the outpouring of affection you’ve sent my way, for the way you’ve shown up each and every day, and most of all, for the privilege of a lifetime serving as your leader.
The truth is, whatever there is to say about my success, I know it is all because of you. You have brought out the best in me. In all my life, I have never seen or been with such an extraordinary team of people before, and every day I get to see more examples of that.
There is something truly special about Apple. I am most proud of what an annual report could never capture. This place is proof that culture triumphs over everything. We share a belief that what we build matters, and that we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to leave the world better than we found it. That purpose is part of what makes this place extraordinary. Apple helps nurture it, but I believe it lived within each of you long before you arrived here. It is what brought you to this company and what continues to drive the work you do every day. Together, we have created something far greater than any one of us could have imagined or accomplished alone. And that’s the secret to our success. We bring out the best in each other. We lift each other up. We have made it possible to leave our “dent in the universe,” as Steve once described it, because of who we are and what we believe, because of what we value and how we see the world. How fortunate we are. How fortunate I am.
As you know, I am not leaving Apple. But I am stepping away from a role that I have loved deeply. I will miss this work in ways I can only begin to imagine, even as I remain completely at peace with my decision. I will miss leading you and being with you for every step, even as 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, and I could not be more excited for his leadership.
I hope you know how much I appreciate you and what an honor it has been to be your CEO. Most of all, I hope you will continue to be proud to be part of this remarkable place we call Apple and always give it your very best. When we bring our whole selves to this work, with care for one another and for the people we serve, there is no limit to the profound difference we can make.
I look forward to seeing you in my new role at Apple Park and around the world.
With all I have and all I am, I am always.
Yours,
Tim”
Why the Timing Matters
Ternus is stepping in right as Apple scrambles to keep up in the AI race. The company just updated the Mac mini and Mac Studio with chips built for heavier AI workloads. Ternus comes from hardware, not software strategy. That might shape how Apple leans into product-first thinking from here.
There’s also a product event coming soon. New iPhones. Possibly Apple’s first foldable phone. How Ternus handles that, so early into the job, will probably tell us more about his direction than anything in his first memo could.
