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
Compiled by: Peggy, BlockBeats
Editor's Note: After Jobs and Cook, Apple has finally welcomed its third truly "epoch-making successor." Unlike the distinct labels of the former two (one defined the product, the other reshaped the supply chain), John Ternus's rise to power is more like a continuation of an internal logic: a "systematic figure" who is familiar with the organization, understands the product, and can drive decision-making within complex structures.
This article traces John Ternus's career path within Apple. From pragmatic updates to the Mac Mini, to "decentralized coordination" in the development of AirPods, and then to driving the shift to self-developed Mac chips, Ternus's role has never been about defining a vision under the spotlight, but rather about ensuring the system operates efficiently.
From a broader perspective, Tenus's appointment signifies that Apple is transitioning from a phase of "product vision + supply chain execution" to a cycle that requires redefining its growth engine. As a typical hardware engineer-type executive, he stands out for his execution capabilities, internal collaboration skills, and deep understanding of the product system; his decision-making logic has also been consistent—prioritizing ecosystem value rather than the profit of a single product.
Tenus's strength lies in his deep understanding of Apple's internal mechanisms and his ability to "get things done" in a functional organization; his uncertainty lies in whether he can propose a clear and risky product direction on top of the existing system.
Meanwhile, in the next generation of computing gateways, represented by conversational AI, Apple is gradually falling behind its competitors, and the gap in Siri's capabilities is widening. This shift in technological paradigms is eroding its past advantage based on hardware.
Therefore, the key to this succession lies not in maintaining existing achievements, but in achieving breakthroughs: whether Tenus possesses product insight similar to Jobs, or system restructuring capabilities like Cook, remains an open question. The article implicitly suggests that Apple's current constraint is not on execution, but on its choice of direction: in the AI era, whether its hardware advantages can be transformed back into platform advantages will determine whether this "engineer-turned-CEO" can truly usher in the next cycle.
In this sense, this handover is more like a choice of path: whether to continue to optimize existing products and ecosystems, or to make a new bet on an unclear technological direction.
The answer may appear soon.
The following is the original text:
John Ternus
The Mac Mini has long been in dire need of an update, and John Ternus hopes he won't have to go through the same hurdle as design guru Jony Ive.
Years ago, before Tenus was chosen to lead one of the world's largest and most influential companies, he headed Apple's Mac hardware division. This was just one of many stages in his rise through the ranks of this relatively closed company, during which he gradually learned how to navigate its unique and complex internal politics.
At the time, the AI wave that would later make the Mac Mini a huge success was still years away, but software developers were already in dire need of a new version with an updated chip. Redesigning the Mini's casing would likely require handling it with Ive's industrial design team, causing additional time delays.
According to sources, after determining that the product did not require major design changes, Tenus decisively pushed forward with the update. He didn't focus too much on the product's profit potential, but rather on its value to Apple's overall ecosystem. This is just one example among many demonstrating his decisiveness, deep understanding of Apple's culture and products, and ability to get things done within the company.
In 2017, Tenus attended the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Image credit: GARY REYES / MEDIANEWS GROUP / GETTY IMAGES
Apple announced on Monday that these qualities, which propelled Tenus to the company's top position throughout his 25-year career, will officially take over on September 1, instantly making him one of the world's most watched business leaders. Tim Cook, Apple's longtime CEO, will transition to executive chairman.
Tenus will succeed two business legends. Steve Jobs created the most profitable product in history—the iPhone; while Cook, through his supply chain system and the continuous launch of services and peripheral products, has extracted trillions of dollars in value from this smartphone.
Similar to when Cook succeeded Jobs, Tenus remains a relatively low-profile figure in the eyes of outsiders. If Jobs was a product visionary and Cook was a supply chain expert, then Tenus is more like a hardware genius somewhere in between.
Tenus, with a background in mechanical engineering, recently took charge of hardware engineering for all Apple products. At a crucial juncture in Apple's history, he assumed the reins of the company. Currently, thanks to the multiple new models launched last fall, Apple continues to maintain peak iPhone sales, but at the same time, the company faces a challenge—how to find the next blockbuster product.
Furthermore, Apple must reinvent itself in the age of artificial intelligence. Over the past few decades, Apple has defined how people interact with computing on desktops and mobile devices, but now, on next-generation computing platforms represented by human-like chatbots, the company has fallen behind its competitors. Apple's own Siri (which is expected to receive an "AI brain" upgrade this year) appears quite "primitive and outdated" in comparison.
Tenus's long career at Apple will play a key role in his new role. Image credit: Justin Lane / EPA-EFE / REX / Shutterstock
If you ask any Apple employee what they think of Tenus, the answer is almost unanimous: he's a very easy person to get along with. Those who have worked with him describe him as an excellent collaborator who inspires extremely high loyalty within a team; he is calm and rational, and in a company historically known for its tense internal relationships and strong-willed individuals, he has virtually no enemies.
The employees also mentioned that he was very good at moving things forward in meetings and always kept the discussion focused on the key points; at the same time, he preferred to communicate directly with frontline employees who were more familiar with the product details, rather than through management who had less knowledge of the specifics.
Outside of Apple, Tenus is passionate about racing his Porsche on tracks, such as Laguna Seca in California. Sources say he can lap under 1 minute 40 seconds, which is quite impressive for an amateur driver.
Ternus is tall and lean, still maintaining the physique he had as a swimmer during his time at the University of Pennsylvania. His former teammate, Andrew Berkowitz, recalled, "Ternus was a really nice guy." He also mentioned a team tradition of running along the Locust Walk on campus in swim trunks during the winter as an annual "baptism" for freshmen.
Tenus graduated in 1997, then worked for four years at a virtual reality startup before joining Apple in 2001.
A photo of Ternus in the University of Pennsylvania yearbook. Image credit: Andrew Berkowitz
Footage from a YouTube video shows Tenus speaking at the 2024 undergraduate commencement ceremony of the University of Pennsylvania's College of Engineering.
Ten years ago, Tenus was one of the key executives responsible for developing AirPods. This product, now an essential iPhone accessory, was known within Apple for its intense internal conflict during its initial development—Tenus's colleagues argued endlessly about how to maintain a stable connection for the wireless headphones via Bluetooth. Ultimately, one executive was forced to leave, and another was transferred to China. Meanwhile, Tenus, then not yet 40, remained aloof from the disputes.
One of the most important achievements of Tenus's tenure was driving Apple's Mac product line to switch from Intel chips to self-developed chips. These chips outperformed the previously used Intel solutions in both performance and power consumption. However, the main credit for this transformation is usually given to Johny Srouji, Apple's head of hardware technology, who will take over and expand the hardware engineering work currently overseen by Tenus.
Tenus's coordination skills and long-standing experience at Apple will be crucial in his new role. Apple's organizational structure is quite unique: unlike other large corporations that are divided by business line and have general managers, Apple uses a functional division model. Therefore, having an "insider" familiar with all aspects of the company as CEO is a natural advantage.
However, according to sources, Tenus is not known for "drastic, high-risk decisions," which leaves an open question: can he deliver the product vision that critics believe has been missing since Steve Jobs' death?
Tenus is regarded as a key guardian of the company culture. He has hosted numerous internal presentations to inspire employees, while repeatedly emphasizing absolute secrecy regarding unreleased products—one of the core tenets established during the Jobs era.
For months, Tenus has been seen as Tim Cook's successor, reflecting Apple's efforts to ensure a smooth transition of power—in contrast to the turbulent transitions at some other long-established American companies in recent years.
Apple has also been intentionally increasing its public exposure recently.
When announcing the 2025 device lineup, Tenus himself showcased the new iPhone Air; shortly after, he was sent to London to greet customers at the UK flagship store on the first day of sales. Last month, he also oversaw the launch of the company's latest product—the more affordable MacBook Neo.
A few weeks ago, Apple held its 50th anniversary celebration at the Grand Central Terminal in New York. The main figures that day were only two: Cook and Tenus.
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