**Who Will Succeed Tim Cook as Apple CEO?**
*By Akash Pandey | Oct 06, 2025, 04:38 PM*
Apple is on the brink of a major leadership transition as Tim Cook, the company’s CEO, approaches his 65th birthday next month. According to a recent Bloomberg report, John Ternus, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, is the leading candidate to succeed Cook at the helm.
### Potential Top-Level Reshuffle
The change at the CEO level may coincide with a broader shake-up in Apple’s upper management. Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, who has already delegated day-to-day operations to Sabih Khan, is expected to step down alongside Cook. Other key executives, including AI chief John Giannandrea and head of hardware technologies Johny Srouji, may also exit as part of this management overhaul.
### Tim Cook’s Future Involvement
Though stepping down as CEO, Cook is likely to remain involved with Apple in some capacity, possibly as board chairman. This approach mirrors the post-retirement roles of notable tech leaders such as Jeff Bezos at Amazon, Larry Ellison at Oracle, Bill Gates at Microsoft, and Reed Hastings at Netflix. Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman highlighted that maintaining continuity with Cook will be important as the company navigates the challenging political landscape under President Donald Trump through 2029.
### John Ternus: A Technologist at the Helm
At 50 years old, Ternus embodies a leadership profile that prioritizes deep technical expertise over salesmanship, aligning with Apple’s evolving vision. Under his oversight, Apple has strengthened its in-house chipset capabilities, and the recently launched iPhone 17 series has received positive customer feedback. However, the company still faces hurdles in emerging fields such as mixed reality, generative AI, smart home technologies, and autonomous driving.
### Expanding Role and Visibility
Ternus recently gained significant attention during Apple’s annual hardware event in September, which showcased the iPhone 17 Air — the first major redesign of the iPhone line in years. Over time, he has taken on expanded responsibilities beyond traditional hardware engineering, including shaping product roadmaps, features, and strategic initiatives.
### Executive Departures and Leadership Changes
Along with Cook and Williams, the future of other key executives remains uncertain. John Giannandrea’s position is in question following a lukewarm rollout of Apple Intelligence and a disappointing overhaul of Siri. Johny Srouji, who heads Apple’s A-series and M-series chip development, may be succeeded by either Zongjian Chen or Sri Santhanam as the company looks to refresh its hardware technology leadership.
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As Apple prepares for this pivotal transition, all eyes remain on Ternus’s ability to steer the company through its next chapter of innovation and growth.
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