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After the departure of Tim Cook, how will Apple change under 'product guy' John Ternus?
TL;DR
Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO of Apple, with John Ternus, the VP of hardware, expected to take over. Ternus's leadership style and vision for the company remain uncertain.
Key points
- Tim Cook is stepping down as CEO of Apple.
- John Ternus is expected to succeed him.
- Ternus is currently the vice president of hardware.
- The exact timing of the transition is not yet clear.
Mentioned in this story
Tim CookJohn TernusApple
Apple will have been planning this succession for a long time.
Rumours were circulating for a while that 65-year-old Tim Cook was thinking about stepping down, and while a few potential replacements popped up, the name which stuck was the firm's vice president of hardware, 51-year-old John Ternus.
I had an informal meeting with him in the UK recently and I asked him then whether he really was heir apparent to the Apple throne.
He laughed and very smoothly gave me what's known in the newsroom as a "politician's answer" - that is, he didn't actually answer the question at all.
Instead, he enthused about Tim Cook's leadership. But there was no other obvious reason why I was suddenly invited to have coffee with him at that moment, some 25 years after he joined the firm.
I found Ternus polite, friendly, and everything he told me was perfectly delivered, if a bit bland.
I wish I could tell you I got some good gossip, but there wasn't a single unguarded moment. Apple is frustratingly good at curating to the letter what it chooses to say, even in private.
You could say Cook has chosen a replacement in his own mould: calm, steady, reliable.
While co-founder Steve Jobs was legendary for being brilliant, but also difficult to work with and prone to tantrums, it's hard to imagine either Tim Cook or John Ternus really kicking off. Neither are the kind of fiery characters which currently dominate US public life.
Between them, Cook and Jobs ran the show for around 30 of Apple's 50-year history.
And, despite telling me a few years ago that there was "no good excuse" for the lack of women in the tech sector, Apple - like many big tech firms - is yet to appoint a woman in charge.
John Ternus is affectionately described as "a product guy". He told me he likes to be hands-on with the development teams.
Tim Cook was originally known as "the operations guy" but he also has a very keen interest in hardware.
The first time I met him, he was fascinated by my rather vintage BBC-issued audio recorder, turning it over and over in his hands and admiring the buttons and dials (which I was rather hoping he wouldn't start moving around).
I told him I'd had to borrow some wired headphones from his team as mine had broken, and jokingly expressed surprise that they were still allowed at Apple HQ in the AirPod era. He told me very seriously that they still sold them.
A while later, a member of his team told me Cook was visiting an Apple Store in Europe and saw wired headphones on the wall - and asked his colleague to pass on a message to me that they were still in demand.
It's unfortunate for Cook that his last big product launch, Apple's VR headset, the Vision Pro - which arrived years after VR got going and cost ten times more than its rivals - does not appear to have been a success.
Q&A
Who is John Ternus and what is his role at Apple?
John Ternus is Apple's vice president of hardware and is expected to succeed Tim Cook as CEO.
What does Tim Cook's departure mean for Apple's future?
Tim Cook's departure may lead to significant changes in Apple's strategy and product development under John Ternus's leadership.
When is Tim Cook officially stepping down as CEO of Apple?
The exact date of Tim Cook's departure has not been announced, but it is anticipated to happen soon.
What are the implications of John Ternus becoming CEO of Apple?
John Ternus's promotion could shift Apple's focus towards hardware innovation, given his background in that area.
