Apple quietly prepares for life after Tim Cook, and all eyes are now on John Ternus

Apple’s board accelerates CEO succession talks; hardware chief John Ternus emerges as the front-runner.

Apple doesn’t often let succession chatter spill outside its walls, which is why a new Financial Times report has caught the tech world’s attention. The newspaper says Apple’s board has recently stepped up internal discussions on CEO succession, signalling that Tim Cook may be considering a handover after nearly 14 years in the role.

Among the names circulating inside Cupertino, one stands out: John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.

He’s not a public-facing executive, but inside Apple he’s one of the most influential voices. Ternus oversees hardware engineering for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods and more, essentially every product line that defines Apple’s revenue.

He joined the company in 2001, rose steadily through product design, and handled key hardware transitions including the move to Apple Silicon.

Cook turned 65 this year, and while he hasn’t announced plans to step aside, age, scale, and long-term strategy naturally bring these conversations forward.

The board wants continuity at a time when Apple is navigating slower growth, new regulatory risks, and a high-stakes race in AI.

Cook has repeatedly said he’ll step down only when 'the voice in my head says it’s time.' But boards plan early, and this time they appear to be signalling that the process is real and active.

The FT says Apple will not make any decision public before its holiday-quarter earnings in late January, the most consequential financial update of Apple’s year.

A leadership announcement during iPhone season would distract from the numbers and the narrative.

Cook didn’t just succeed Steve Jobs; he stabilised and scaled Apple beyond what many expected. He turned supply chain management into a superpower, deepened Apple’s services ecosystem, and steered the company past trillion-dollar milestones.

Any successor, Ternus or otherwise, inherits not just a title, but the expectations built under Cook’s steady run.