Apple has expanded the role of hardware chief John Ternus within the company to include design work, in the latest indication of his rising status as a potential successor to Tim Cook, Bloomberg reported.
Cook, who turned 65 in November, quietly handed over management of the company’s critical design teams to Ternus at the end of 2025, the report said, citing unnamed people.
The arrangement is unusual, with Ternus’ design role reportedly being indicated only within the company, while in public disclosures, the heads of the design teams continue to report directly to Cook.
Succession planning
Internally, Ternus is indicated as the “executive sponsor” of all design on Cook’s management team, a role Bloomberg’s sources said is intended by Cook to expose Ternus to more parts of the company’s operations.
Ternus already works closely with the industrial design team, but has not previously been responsible for that group or the user interface group.
Craig Federighi, the head of software engineering, remains highly influential in software design decisions, with marketing chief Greg Joswiak also having a strong voice, according to the report.
Ternus, 50, is the youngest member of Apple’s executive team, at a time when some Apple executives have been leaving the company or retiring, as did Jeff Williams, Apple’s former chief operating officer, who retired at the end of 2025.
Executive shifts
Ternus has taken on a more public-facing role of late, introducing the iPhone Air last September.
Williams had been considered another potential successor to Cook.
Sabih Khan, who succeeded Williams as chief operating officer, is also considered internally as a chief executive candidate, the report said.
