According to a report in the Financial Times (FT), Apple has accelerated its preparations for the transition from CEO Tim Cook. The company’s board and senior executives have “recently intensified” succession planning for the top job.
Strongest Candidate: John Ternus
According to FT sources, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, John Ternus, appears to be the most likely candidate to succeed Cook. However, it is also noted that “no final decision has yet been made.” Ternus has recently attracted attention with his frequent presence at Apple’s key product launches and his assumption of new operational responsibilities.
While the report doesn’t provide a definitive reason for Apple’s acceleration of its succession efforts, it emphasizes that the move is not related to the company’s current performance. The report notes that these plans are continuing unabated even ahead of the critical year-end holiday period, where record sales are expected.
Sources close to the FT also cautioned that despite the intensification of preparations, “the timing of any announcement is subject to change.” The company is not expected to announce a new CEO before the end of January, when it will release its next earnings report, which covers the critical holiday period.
The report comes just hours after former Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jeff Williams spent his final days at Apple following his retirement, which he announced in July. Williams handed operational leadership to Sabih Khan earlier this year, and his remaining responsibilities were redistributed among other senior executives, including Ternus.
Apple also recently underwent a CFO transition, with longtime Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri stepping down and being replaced by Kevan Parekh, the company’s Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis.
Readers’ comments emphasized that Tim Cook successfully navigated the post-Steve Jobs era, transforming Apple into a tech giant and achieving significant successes such as Apple Silicon. However, the biggest challenge Cook will leave to his successor is the company’s deep connection to China and its position in the artificial intelligence (AI) space.
