Without Cook, can Apple continue to grow sustainably in the AI era?

Original Title: The Rise of Apple’s New CEO: A Hardware Expert Takes Over in the AI Era
Original Author: Rolfe Winkler, The Wall Street Journal
Translation: Peggy, BlockBeats

Editor’s note: After Jobs and Cook, Apple has finally welcomed its third truly “era-defining” successor. Unlike the clear tags attached to the first two (one defined products, the other reshaped the supply chain), John Ternus’s rise is more like a continuation of internal logic: a “systems-type figure” who knows the organization well, understands the products, and can push decision-making forward within a complex structure.

This article maps John Ternus’s growth path within Apple. From pragmatic upgrades to the Mac Mini, to “decentralized coordination” during AirPods development, and then to pushing the shift of Mac chips from Intel toward in-house design, Ternus’s role has never been about defining a vision under the spotlight, but about ensuring the system can operate efficiently.

From a broader perspective, Ternus’s appointment marks Apple entering a new cycle—one that requires redefining the growth engine—after its earlier phase of “product vision + supply chain execution.” As a typical hardware-engineer-type executive, he stands out with his execution strength, his ability to coordinate internally, and his deep understanding of the product system. His decision-making logic has been consistent: prioritize ecosystem value rather than the profit of a single product.

Ternus’s strength lies in his deep understanding of Apple’s internal mechanisms, and his ability to “get things done” within a functional organization. His uncertainty, however, is whether he can propose a product direction that is clear enough—and daring enough—on top of the existing system.

Meanwhile, on the new generation of computing entry points represented by conversational AI, Apple is gradually falling behind its competitors, and the capability gap in Siri is being steadily widened. The migration of technological paradigms is eroding the foundation of what was once its advantage centered on hardware.

Therefore, the key to this succession is not whether he can defend past achievements, but whether he can make a breakthrough: whether Ternus has product insights similar to Jobs, or the system-restructuring ability of a Cook-like executive—remains an open question. The article’s implicit judgment is that Apple’s current constraint is not in the execution layer, but in direction selection: in the AI era, whether hardware advantages can be transformed into platform advantages will determine whether this “engineer-type CEO” can truly kick off the next cycle.

In this sense, this handover is also more like a choice of path: whether to continue optimizing existing product and ecosystem systems, or to place a new bet on technological directions that are still not fully clear.

The answer may appear soon.

The following is the original text:

John Ternus

The Mac Mini has long needed an update, and John Ternus hopes he won’t have to go through design master Jony Ive’s process anymore.

Years ago, before Ternus was selected to take charge of one of the world’s largest and most influential companies, he led Apple’s Mac hardware division. This was just one of many stages in his rise within this relatively closed company—and also the process through which he gradually learned how to handle its unique and complex internal politics.

At that time, the AI wave that would later make the Mac Mini hugely popular was still years away, but software developers already urgently needed a new version with updated chips. And if Mini were redesigned externally, it might have to be handled by Ive’s industrial design team, which would bring additional time delays.

Insiders say that after deciding the product did didn’t require major design changes, Ternus pushed the update decisively. He didn’t spend much consideration on the product’s own profitability potential; instead, he focused on its value to Apple’s overall ecosystem. This is just one of many examples that shows his decisiveness, his deep understanding of Apple’s culture and products, and his ability to drive things through internally.

In 2017, Ternus attended the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Photo source: GARY REYES / MEDIANEWS GROUP / GETTY IMAGES

Apple announced on Monday that these traits—over his 25-year career—have propelled Ternus to the company’s highest position. He will officially take over on September 1, instantly making him one of the most watched corporate leaders in the world. Tim Cook (Tim Cook), who has long served as Apple’s CEO, will transition to Executive Chairman.

Ternus will succeed two corporate legends. Steve Jobs built history’s most profitable product—the iPhone. And with its built supply-chain system and the continuous launch of services and accessory products, Cook has extracted trillions of dollars in value from this smartphone.

Similar to when Cook succeeded Jobs back then, Ternus is still seen by outsiders as a relatively low-profile figure. If Jobs was a product visionary and Cook a supply-chain expert, then Ternus is more like a hardware genius between the two.

Ternus has a background in mechanical engineering and has recently been responsible for all hardware engineering across Apple’s products. At key moments in Apple’s history, he has taken the helm of the company. Apple is still at a sales peak thanks to multiple new models launched last fall, but at the same time, the company faces a dilemma—how to find the next blockbuster product.

In addition, Apple must also reinvent itself in the AI era. Over the past few decades, Apple has defined how people interact with computing on desktop and on mobile. But now, on the new generation of computing platforms represented by human-like conversational chatbots, the company has fallen behind its competitors. Apple’s own Siri (expected to receive an “AI brain” upgrade this year) looks rather “primitive and behind” in comparison.

Ternus’s long tenure at Apple will play a key role in his new position. Photo source: JUSTIN LANE / EPA-EFE / REX / SHUTTERSTOCK

If you ask any Apple employee what they think of Ternus, the answers you get are almost unanimous: he is very easy to get along with. People who have worked with him describe him as an outstanding collaborator who can inspire very high loyalty within teams. He is calm and rational, and in a company that has historically been known for tense internal interpersonal relationships and tough personalities, he has almost no enemies.

Employees also mention that he is very strong at pushing things forward in meetings and can always keep discussions on point. At the same time, he prefers to communicate directly with the frontline employees who are more familiar with product details, rather than with managers who know less about the specific situation.

Outside Apple, Ternus is keen on driving his Porsche for racing on tracks, such as Laguna Seca in California. Insiders say his lap times can run under 1 minute 40 seconds, which is already quite impressive for an amateur driver.

Tall and lean, he still maintains the body type he had while studying at the University of Pennsylvania as a swimmer. His former teammate Andrew Berkowitz recalled, “Ternus is a very good person.” He also mentioned that the team had a tradition: in winter, wearing swim trunks and running along the campus’s Locust Walk as an annual “initiation” for freshmen.

Ternus graduated in 1997, then worked at a virtual reality startup for four years, and joined Apple in 2001.

Photo of Ternus in the University of Pennsylvania alumni yearbook. Photo source: Andrew Berkowitz

A clip from a YouTube video shows Ternus speaking at the 2024 University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering undergraduate commencement ceremony.

Ten years ago, Ternus was one of the core executives responsible for developing AirPods. Now, a must-have accessory for the iPhone, this product’s original development process at Apple is nonetheless known for intense internal infighting. Ternus’s colleagues debated back and forth over how to maintain stable wireless connections for the wireless earbuds via Bluetooth. In the end, one executive was forced to resign, while another was transferred to China. At the time, Ternus, who was still under 40, remained outside the turmoil.

During Ternus’s tenure, one of the most important achievements was pushing Apple’s Mac product line to shift from Intel chips to in-house designed chips. These chips outperform the earlier Intel solutions in both performance and power consumption. However, most of the main credit for this transition is usually given to Apple’s hardware technology lead Johny Srouji, who will take over and expand the hardware engineering work that Ternus is currently responsible for.

Ternus’s coordination ability and his long experience at Apple will be crucial in his new role. Apple’s organizational structure is quite unique: unlike other large companies that divide by business lines and set up general managers, Apple uses a functional division model. As a result, an “insider” who is familiar with every part of the company has a natural advantage as CEO.

However, according to insiders, Ternus is not known for “bold, high-risk decisions,” leaving an unanswered question: whether he can provide the product vision that outside critics believe has gradually been missing since Steve Jobs’s death.

Ternus has already been seen as an important guardian of the company culture. He has hosted multiple internal sharing sessions to motivate employees, and repeatedly emphasized absolute confidentiality about unreleased products—one of the core tenets established during the Jobs era.

For months, Ternus has been viewed as Tim Cook’s likely successor. This also reflects Apple’s efforts to facilitate a smooth leadership handover—contrasting with some of the turbulent handover processes at other long-established U.S. companies in recent years.

Apple has also recently been intent on increasing his public visibility.

At the launch of the 2025 device lineup, Ternus personally showcased the brand-new iPhone Air. Not long after, he was sent to London to welcome customers on the first day of sales at the UK flagship store. Last month, he was also responsible for releasing the company’s latest product—the more affordable MacBook Neo.

A few weeks ago, Apple held its 50th-anniversary celebration at New York’s Grand Central Terminal. That day’s two only main figures were Cook and Ternus.

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