Meet John Ternus, the 50-year-old Apple government and former swimming champ who’s rumored to succeed Tim Cook as CEO

The hypothesis intensified after Apple’s chief working officer Jeff Williams, as soon as thought-about Cook’s pure successor, stepped down from operational responsibilities in July and can depart the corporate by 12 months’s finish. With Williams out of rivalry, Gurman says Ternus has emerged as “the most likely heir apparent.”

Ternus brings a combination of technical expertise and institutional knowledge to the succession conversation. According to his LinkedIn profile, the mechanical engineer joined Apple’s product design group in 2001 and has overseen {hardware} engineering for nearly each main product within the firm’s present portfolio. His fingerprints are on each technology of iPad, the newest iPhone lineup, and AirPods. He additionally performed a vital function within the Mac’s transition to Apple silicon. He’s additionally performed a distinguished function throughout Apple’s most up-to-date keynotes, introducing products like the brand new iPhone Air.

The timing of Ternus’s elevated visibility isn’t coincidental. Apple’s public relations groups have begun “putting the spotlight on Ternus,” in accordance with Gurman, signaling the corporate could also be making ready for a gradual transition of energy. Beyond product launches, Ternus has taken on responsibilities that extend well beyond traditional hardware engineering, influencing product roadmaps, features, and strategic decisions typically reserved for more senior executives.

At 50 years old, Ternus mirrors Cook’s age when he became CEO in 2011, positioning him for potentially a decade or more of leadership. This longevity factor appeals to Apple’s board of directors, who prefer stability in leadership transitions. His engineering background also matches where Apple is going as a company, exploring emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and mixed reality.

Born in 1975, Ternus’s journey to the top of Apple began at the University of Pennsylvania, where he distinguished himself both academically and athletically. He graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, majoring in mechanical engineering. But Ternus wasn’t just focused on his studies—he was a competitive swimmer who made his mark in the pool.

A 1994 report in The Daily Pennsylvanian revealed Ternus’s athletic prowess when he received each the 50-meter freestyle and 200-meter particular person medley at a college swimming competitors. More remarkably, Ternus is an “all-time letter winner” for the UPenn males’s swimming group, representing the varsity swim group a document variety of occasions.

After graduation, Ternus joined Virtual Research Systems as a mechanical engineer. Virtual Research Systems, whereas not extensively recognized as we speak, was a part of the early virtual-reality wave of the Eighties and Nineties, engaged on VR headsets and immersive applied sciences. This four-year stint uncovered Ternus to cutting-edge show expertise and human-computer interfaces—expertise that might show invaluable throughout his later work on merchandise just like the Apple Vision Pro.

Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001, at a pivotal moment in the company’s history. Steve Jobs had returned, the iMac had revitalized the company, and Apple was preparing to launch products that would redefine entire industries. Starting as a relatively junior member of the product design team, Ternus initially worked on external Mac monitors.

By 2013, Ternus had been promoted to vice president of hardware engineering, initially overseeing AirPods, Mac, and iPad development. His portfolio expanded in 2020 when he took charge of iPhone hardware engineering, previously overseen directly by Dan Riccio. When Riccio stepped down in January 2021 to concentrate on the Apple Vision Pro mission, Ternus was promoted to senior vice chairman of {hardware} engineering, making him a member of Apple’s government group.

Apple’s public relations teams have begun “putting the spotlight on Ternus,” according to Gurman, signaling the corporate could also be making ready for a gradual transition of energy. This shift is clear in Ternus’s elevated visibility at product launches and trade occasions. He has grow to be a daily presenter at Apple’s keynote occasions, revealing refreshes of the iMac and MacEbook Pro, introducing the 2018 iPad Pros, unveiling the iMac Pro, and presenting the fully redesigned 2019 Mac Pro. Crucially, Ternus was additionally accountable for unveiling Apple Silicon to the world, in addition to the new iPhone Air.

The succession question has gained urgency as Apple faces broader executive turnover. John Giannandrea, the senior vice chairman overseeing Apple’s AI technique, reportedly has an unsure future following setbacks with Siri improvement, in accordance with Gurman, who added that {hardware} applied sciences chief Johny Srouji is “evaluating his future,” and environmental coverage chief Lisa Jackson can be contemplating retirement.

For a company that has prided itself on organizational stability throughout Cook’s tenure, the simultaneous departure of multiple senior executives marks a significant shift. Cook himself has given mixed signals about retirement plans, telling CNBC in January that he can’t envision “doing nothing” and can “always want to work.” However, Bloomberg studies Cook might ultimately transition to a boss function, much like strikes by Jeff Bezos at Amazon and Bill Gates at Microsoft.

The selection of Ternus would symbolize Apple’s choice for selling from inside reasonably than searching for exterior management. It would additionally sign a shift towards prioritizing technical innovation over purely operational excellence, as the corporate seeks to reinvigorate product classes past the iPhone that generates the vast majority of its income. The company’s struggles with the Apple Vision Pro and its efforts to compete in artificial intelligence suggest technical leadership may be exactly what Apple needs for its next chapter.