Tim Cook resigns.Image: keystone
Tim Cook is handing over operational leadership – and a long-time confidant is moving in. The change is part of a long-prepared plan.
April 20, 2026, 10:50 p.mApril 20, 2026, 11:03 p.m
Tim Cook quits as Apple CEO. The tech company announced this on Monday. Cook’s successor will be John Ternus. Tim Cook will take over the leadership of Apple’s board of directors in the future, the company said.
The move is the result of a long-term succession process that the board of directors unanimously approved, Apple said in a statement. which is available on t-online. Cook will remain in office until the summer and prepare the transition together with Ternus before concentrating more on strategic tasks in the future.
Cook said it was “the greatest privilege of my life to be CEO of Apple and to have had the confidence to lead such an extraordinary company.” He loves Apple “with all of my being” and is grateful to work with “such an imaginative, innovative, creative and deeply committed team”.
At the same time, he praised his successor: Ternus had “the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator and the heart to lead with integrity and honor” and was “without a doubt the right person” to lead Apple into the future.
An insider takes over
Ternus himself said he was “deeply grateful for this opportunity to continue Apple’s mission.” He spent almost his entire career in the company, worked under Steve Jobs and had a mentor in Tim Cook. It was a privilege for him to work on products “that have changed so much how we interact with the world and with each other.” He was “full of optimism” for the coming years and emphasized that he wanted to continue to lead Apple with the values and vision that have shaped the company for decades.
Cook, who has been with the company since 1998, led Apple to a stock market valuation of over $4 trillion and annual sales of nearly half a trillion dollars.
John Ternus has been part of the company since 2001 and has led the hardware business since 2013. (hkl/t-online)