Tim Cook, the man who steered Apple into becoming a multi-trillion dollar behemoth after taking over from Steve Jobs in 2011, is nearing his 64th birthday– which is the retirement age typically. With that comes speculation about who might succeed him as CEO. Many names have cropped up but Bloomberg's latest report suggests that John Ternus, a long-time loyalist, could be the frontrunner.
But who is John Ternus and why is he being considered? Ternus is currently the Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Apple, directly reporting to Tim Cook. With over 23 years at Apple, Ternus has played a crucial role in shaping some of the company's most iconic products, including the iPhone, iPad, and AirPods. His leadership in transitioning the Mac to Apple Silicon further underscores his credentials.
While Ternus emerges as a strong contender, many had previously pegged Jeff Williams, Apple's Chief Operations Officer, as the likely successor. However, at 61 years old, Williams's age might work against him in the eyes of Apple's board of directors, who are looking for a leader capable of steering the company for at least a decade, akin to Jobs and Cook.
Other potential candidates, according to reports, include Craig Federighi (Senior Vice President of Software Engineering), Dan Riccio (Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering), Deirdre O'Brien (Senior Vice President of Retail), and Phil Schiller (Apple Fellow). However, they are seen as less likely choices for the top position.
