Who is John Ternus — what is known about the main contender for the post of head of Apple

Who is John Ternus — biography

John Ternus was born in 1975. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical Engineering. During his studies, he was actively involved in swimming and became the absolute champion of the university team in 1994.

After graduating from the university, Ternus worked for four years as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. In 2001, he joined Apple Computer, where he became part of the product development team.

Initially, he was engaged in the creation of external monitors for Mac, but later Ternus began working on the company's mobile products. In 2013, he was appointed Vice president of Hardware Development at Apple. In this position, he oversaw the development of all generations of iPads, new iPhone models, and AirPods. He also made a significant contribution to the transition of Macs to Apple's own processors.

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In 2021, Ternus became head of Apple's hardware department, replacing Dan Riccio, who began developing a new product, the Apple Vision Pro.

John Ternus is a candidate for the post of CEO of Apple

The question of who will take over the post of Apple CEO after Tim Cook has become increasingly relevant in recent years, because the current head of the company, Tim Cook, is already 64 years old. He has been running Apple since 2011 after the death of its founder Steve Jobs.

John Ternus is considered one of the main contenders for the post of the new head of Apple. As Bloomberg notes, there are several good reasons for his appointment. First of all, Ternus is one of the youngest top managers of the company, he is only 50 years old. Cook was the same age when he took Jobs' place. This gives Ternus the opportunity to remain as CEO for at least ten years, which will ensure Apple's stability.

Secondly, Bloomberg emphasizes, despite the increase in revenue and the growth of the product range, it is still difficult for Apple to enter new technology markets. In this regard, the appointment of an engineer who understands the specifics of the company's products well may be more profitable than the appointment of a sales or operational specialist.

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Thirdly, Ternus has already gained respect among Apple's management and employees. In particular, Cook entrusted him with making important decisions on products and strategies, which goes beyond the traditional role of head of the hardware development department. In addition, Ternus often participates in presentations of new iPhone and iPad models.

Previously, it was assumed that Cook's successor would be Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer, who oversaw all of the company's global processes and led the design and engineering team for the Apple Watch. However, he retired in July 2025 and was replaced by Sabik Khan.

Other potential candidates for the CEO position include Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Development, Dan Riccio, Senior Vice President of Hardware Development, and Deirdre O'Brien, Senior Vice President of Retail.