Apple is preparing for a leadership handoff that will end Tim Cook’s run as chief executive and elevate longtime hardware executive John Ternus to the top job. The company said Cook will step down as CEO on September 1, 2026, and move into the role of executive chairman, while Ternus will take over day-to-day leadership and join Apple’s board.

The transition formalizes a succession path that had drawn increasing attention in recent months, with Ternus widely viewed as a leading internal contender. He has spent roughly a quarter-century at Apple and has overseen major hardware programs across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods and Apple Watch lines.

Cook, who became CEO in 2011 after Steve Jobs, framed the move as both personal and institutional. In Apple’s announcement, he said it had been “the greatest privilege of my life” to lead the company and praised Ternus as “a visionary leader” with the judgment and values to guide Apple into its next chapter.

Ternus said he is “honored” to become Apple’s next chief executive and described the opportunity as “humbling.” He also pointed to the influence of both Jobs and Cook, saying their example shaped how he thinks about leadership and Apple’s long-term mission.

The reshuffle reaches beyond the CEO office. Apple has already named Johny Srouji as chief hardware officer, shifting him into a larger role as Ternus prepares for the corner office. The changes come at a pivotal time for the company, which is facing heightened pressure to prove it can keep pace in artificial intelligence while defending its core hardware business. Cook’s tenure transformed Apple from a company still defined largely by the iPhone into one with a much broader ecosystem of devices and services.

Under his leadership, Apple introduced products such as the Apple Watch, AirPods and Vision Pro, expanded its services business, and remained one of the world’s most valuable companies.

This is a breaking news story. Information may be updated, amended, or removed as details emerge.