John Ternus, who has long focused on design and products at Apple, will lead the iPhone maker as it gears up for an industry change spurred by artificial intelligence.
Apple announced on Monday that after more than a decade as chief executive, Tim Cook will step down in September.
Cook will hand leadership to company veteran John Ternus, currently Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, marking Apple's first CEO transition since the death of founder Steve Jobs.
"Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been lucky to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as my mentor," Ternus said.
"It has been a privilege to help shape the products and experiences that have changed so much of how we interact with the world and with one another," he added.
What you need to know about Ternus
- Apple veteran: Joined Apple's product design team in 2001; became vice president of hardware engineering in 2013.
- Executive leadership: Named senior vice president of hardware engineering in 2021, reporting to Tim Cook.
- Key strategist: Helped drive renewed growth and market-share gains for Macs. Leads teams behind iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
- iPhone redesign: Presented the iPhone Air last fall, Apple’s biggest iPhone revamp since 2017.
- Board role: Will join Apple's board effective September 1.
Cook to become Apple Executive Chairman
Cook, who has led Apple since 2011, will stay on as executive chairman.
The move comes as the company faces mounting pressure to prove it can keep pace in artificial intelligence.
Cook said leading Apple has been "the greatest privilege" of his life.
Separately, Johny Srouji, who has overseen Apple's custom chip and sensor designs, has been named chief hardware officer.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko