Apple further expands role of rumored CEO candidate John Ternus

Investing.com -- Apple Inc. has expanded hardware chief John Ternus’s responsibilities to include design work, according to a Bloomberg report Thursday, further positioning him as a potential successor to Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook.

Cook is said to have quietly appointed Ternus to manage the company’s design teams at the end of last year. This change means Ternus now oversees one of Apple’s most critical functions.

Design responsibilities hold special significance at Apple, where product look and feel have been central to the company’s success since the Steve Jobs era. The role encompasses both hardware and software design and has traditionally been assigned to senior leadership.

Legendary designer Jony Ive previously held this position until leaving Apple in 2019. Cook himself oversaw design from 2015 to 2017 during Ive’s temporary step back. Most recently, Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer and Cook’s top deputy, managed design until his retirement at the end of 2025.

Ternus is now described internally as the "executive sponsor" of all design on Cook’s management team. His responsibilities include serving as a bridge between design staff and Apple’s executive leadership, representing the design organization in executive meetings, and managing the group’s leaders, the report said.

Despite this leadership change, there are reportedly no internal indications that Cook, who turned 65 in November and has led Apple since 2011, plans to step down soon. When he does eventually retire, Cook is expected to remain with the company as chairman.

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