John Ternus Replaces Tim Cook as Apple CEO NYT > Top Stories By: Kalley Huang 1 September 2026 at 12:01 Big technology and management changes are greeting John Ternus, whose long-serving predecessor, Tim Cook, will stay on as executive chair. © Brendan McDermid/ReutersJohn Ternus, right, who became Apple’s chief executive on Tuesday, with Tim Cook, who held the job for 15 years, at the Sun Valley Conference in Idaho in July.