Apple appoints John Ternus as new CEO, Cook becomes executive chairman

Changing of the guard at the top of Apple: John Ternus, at 50 years of age already a veteran of the group and by most considered the dauphin in the race for succession, has been appointed as the new chief executive officer, a position he will hold from 1 September. Tim Cook, at the age of 65, is stepping down as chief executive officer to become executive chairman. In the after-market, Apple's stock was down slightly by 0.6% after gaining 1% during the previous session.

Rumours of an upcoming transition at the top of Apple's iconic brand had been chasing each other for a few months and Ternus had emerged as the designated heir, but it was unclear when the company would really be ready for an announcement. It has now arrived, on the eve of the new quarterly report, due on 30 April. And as Apple comes to terms with technological, industrial and political questions that analysts say create new competitive dynamics in the tech and media universe and call for new innovative thrusts, Cook's task that some critics recently considered tarnished.

Among the first open questions is the difficult challenge on the ever-advancing frontier of artificial intelligence, where Apple has so far struggled. Among the second are the complications of a vast supply and production chain under pressure in a climate of protectionism and geopolitical tensions. The third questions are dominated by relations with Donald Trump's administration, with whom Cook has tried to avoid friction by attending the president's inauguration, seeking and obtaining exemptions from his tariffs and calling for a pragmatic strategy focused on 'policy, not politics'. Cook also lifted the curtain on a $600 billion investment plan in the US over four years, despite the fact that like many other tech giants such strategies appear less than clear.

Ternus is currently senior vice president (senior vice president) leading hardware design (Hardware Engineering), a position at Apple considered preparatory to leadership of the entire business. Arriving at Apple, in the product design team, in 2001, he went on to work on numerous recognisable products, from iPads and AirPods to later iPhone models, up to the iPhone 17 and still driving the business, as well as Mac computers and the Apple Watch. He notably played a crucial role in the revitalisation of the Mac, up to the recent and more affordable MacBook Neo. He also distinguished himself for his agility in moving through the ranks of top executives within the group. Before coming to Apple, Ternus had been a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems and graduated, in Mechanical Engineering, from the University of Pennsylvania.

Apple said in a statement that the transition was unanimously approved by the board and took place at the end of a 'long, reasoned succession process'. Until September, Cook will remain CEO, after which he will take on a role as a major ambassador: 'He will assist on certain aspects of the company, including relations with policymakers on a global scale'.