// GADGETS
John Ternus to Become Apple CEO Next Week, Major Executive Shakeup Anticipated
John Ternus will take over as Apple's CEO next week, a transition expected to trigger a significant overhaul of the company's long-serving executive team over the next three years.
- John Ternus will officially become Apple's CEO next week, replacing Tim Cook.
- A significant leadership shakeup is anticipated, with several long-serving executives expected to retire.
- Ternus will need to replace key figures like Johny Srouji, Deirdre O’Brien, and Greg Joswiak over the next three years.
- The transition differs from Tim Cook's, who inherited a stable leadership team in 2011.
John Ternus will officially assume the role of Apple's chief executive officer next week, succeeding Tim Cook. This leadership change is expected to initiate a substantial executive shakeup within the company, according to reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Unlike Tim Cook's transition to CEO in 2011, which was supported by a team of mid-career lieutenants, Ternus faces the challenge of replacing many long-tenured executives. While he will inherit some recent hires, including the new chief financial officer and chief operating officer, much of Apple's current leadership consists of individuals nearing retirement age. Ternus is projected to oversee the replacement of these executives over approximately the next three years.
Key Executives Expected to Depart
Several prominent figures are reportedly nearing their departure from Apple. One such executive is Johny Srouji, the senior vice president of hardware technologies. Srouji has been instrumental in revolutionizing Apple's chip division, known as Apple Silicon, and integrating the company's chips and broader hardware divisions as Apple reduced its reliance on Intel. His potential departure could mean the loss of combined engineering and technologies leadership under a single individual. Apple is currently rolling out M5 Ultra and M6 chips, with rumors suggesting M7, M7 Pro, and M7 Max chips will follow next year.
Deirdre O’Brien, who joined Apple in 1988, is another executive likely to leave. She heads Apple's retail operations and serves as its vice president of People, effectively leading human resources. O'Brien played a crucial role in guiding the company through the Covid-19 pandemic and possesses extensive institutional knowledge.
Luca Maestri, the former chief financial officer, is also expected to depart soon. Maestri currently holds the title of vice president of Corporate Services, overseeing areas that the current CFO, Kevan Parekh, is reportedly not yet fully managing.
Greg Joswiak, known internally as "Joz," is another long-serving executive whose retirement is anticipated. Joswiak joined Apple in 1986 and contributed to the development of early Macintosh computers. He has been central to Apple's marketing efforts, which have built one of the world's most successful brands. His right-hand man, Bob Borchers, is also reportedly considering retirement. Potential successors for Joswiak include Lilian Rincon, the newly appointed head of artificial intelligence marketing, and Kaiann Drance, the longtime chief of iPhone marketing.
These anticipated departures highlight the significant task facing Ternus as he steps into the CEO role, requiring him to rebuild a substantial portion of Apple's senior leadership team.