After nearly 15 years at the helm, Tim Cook is stepping down from his position as the CEO of Apple, marking one of the most significant leadership transitions in modern tech history. He joined Apple in 1998 and became the CEO in 2011, retaining the position until now. During his time, he led Apple to an exponential growth with its valuation reaching multi-trillion dollars in present times.
This transition in Apple leadership was long anticipated with rumours circulating every few months in the past couple of years. Perhaps, this change was long overdue as well.
Cook will transition into the role of Executive Chairman, while John Ternus, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, will take over as Apple CEO beginning September 1, 2026.
As the saying goes, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” and it feels especially fitting in Tim Cook’s case. His reign at Apple has not been without controversy, with critics often pointing to a perceived lack of breakthrough innovation compared to founder Steve Jobs. Many argue that Apple under Cook has focused more on incremental improvements rather than the kind of disruptive leaps that once defined the company.
Innovative or not, what he has undeniably brought to Apple is stability and resilience. You don’t just scale a company to multi-trillion dollar valuation without being a visionary.
Under his vision, the company expanded into wearables with the Apple Watch and AirPods, products that didn’t just extend Apple’s range but effectively created new everyday habits for millions of users. Moreover, services like Apple Music and Apple TV+ became major revenue drivers, signaling Apple’s shift from a primarily hardware-centric business to a more balanced ecosystem model.
Tim Cook has been the catalyst in evolving Apple beyond a tech company into something woven into everyday culture—heavily influencing how people listen, watch, work, and connect. He had some very big shoes to fill, some big “jobs” to do and he has done it all quite well.However, it’s a brand new day and a new dawn is coming for Apple, and where it heads next remains to be seen. Some significant changes have already been made: it will be the first time when the Apple CEO’s name doesn’t end in a common noun.