Tim Cook Steps Down as Apple CEO, Taps John Ternus to Lead
Cook moves to chairman, handing the CEO role to John Ternus in a transition echoing the Jobs-to-Cook playbook.
Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple's CEO and transitioning to chairman of the board. His chosen successor: John Ternus.
The move carries heavy echoes of Apple's last leadership transition, when Steve Jobs handed the reins to Cook himself. As John Gruber noted on Daring Fireball, the feeling this time is profoundly different from when Jobs made a similar announcement years ago.
Cook reshaped Apple in his own image during his tenure, building the company into something distinctly his. Now he's exiting on his own terms — not forced out, not rushed. He apparently picked the person he believes is right for the job, mirroring the deliberate succession planning Jobs executed before him.
It's the end of an era at Apple, and the start of whatever Ternus plans to do with the world's most valuable company.