The New York Times profiles John Ternus, ‘the man who could be Apple’s next CEO’

As Apple approaches a potential leadership transition, John Ternus, 50, the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, has emerged as a leading contender to succeed longtime CEO Tim Cook. According to insiders cited in a New York Times report published Thursday, Ternus’s low-profile yet influential style is marked by careful decision-making that balances innovation with profitability, positioning him as a natural heir for ensuring continuity at the tech company.

Ternus, who joined Apple in 2001 and rose through the hardware ranks, gained prominence for strategic choices like limiting advanced features to premium iPhone models to manage costs effectively. With Cook, now 65, reportedly signaling fatigue and accelerating succession planning in recent years — while preparing multiple internal candidates — Ternus stands out among peers, potentially shaping Apple’s future amid evolving challenges in hardware innovation and global operations.

Kalley Huang and Tripp Mickle for The New York Times:
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Threading the needle between adding new bells and whistles to Apple’s products while watching the bottom line has defined the careful, low-profile style of Mr. Ternus, who joined Apple in 2001. He is now considered by some company insiders to be the front-runner to replace Tim Cook, Apple’s longtime chief executive, if Mr. Cook decides to step aside.

Apple last year began accelerating its planning for Mr. Cook’s succession, according to three people close to the company who spoke on the condition of anonymity about Apple’s confidential deliberations. Mr. Cook, 65, has told senior leaders that he is tired and would like to reduce his workload, the people said. Should he step down, Mr. Cook is likely to become the chairman of Apple’s board, according to three people close to the company…

Despite his low profile, Mr. Ternus appears to have shot to the front of the pack to be Apple’s next C.E.O., according to four people close to the company…

Mr. Ternus’s rising profile has caused debate among Apple alumni and rank-and-file employees about whether he would lead like Mr. Cook, who succeeded by making the company more predictable and incremental, or Mr. Jobs, who laid the foundation for the company’s success with risky bets and visionary products.

“If you want to make an iPhone every year, Ternus is your guy,” said Cameron Rogers, who worked on product and software engineering management at Apple from 2005 to 2022.

The question for Apple is whether the company needs an innovator or another deft manager.

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MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote last July:

What should happen at Apple:

1. Tim Cook retires (yesterday, preferably)
2. Cook does not get Chairman of the Board position
3. Apple hires a charismatic, visionary CEO in the mold of Jobs
4. Company returns to path of inventive innovation

What likely will happen at Apple:

1. Tim Cook hangs on for years
2. When he finally retires as CEO, he becomes Chairman
3. Apple hires another bland, myopic CEO in the mold of Cook
4. Company continues on path of iterative stagnation

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