John Ternus leads as internal contender for Apple CEO position: Report

New Delhi: US tech giant Apple's Senior Vice-President of hardware engineering, John Ternus, is viewed inside the company as a leading contender to succeed Chief Executive Tim Cook, who is set to step down in early 2026, a report said.

Apple’s board and senior leaders have accelerated its succession plans and increased focus on a smooth leadership transition as the company prepares for Tim Cook's resignation after 14 years at the helm of the $4 trillion tech giant, the report from Financial Times said, adding that no final decision has been made. If appointed, Apple would get a hardware-focused leader in Ternus when it seeks expansion into new product categories to keep pace with Silicon Valley competitors in AI.