John Ternus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Ternus
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
John Ternus in 2026
|
|
| Born |
John Patrick Ternus
May 1975 (age 51) California, U.S.
|
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BSE) |
| Title | |
| Predecessor | Tim Cook |
John Patrick Ternus (born May 1975) is an American engineer and business leader. He is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Apple. He took over this top leadership role on September 1, 2026, after Tim Cook stepped down. Ternus also sits on the company's board of directors. Before leading the whole company, he worked as a key engineer and manager for many years. He helped design famous gadgets like the iPad, the Mac, and AirPods.
Contents
Early life and engineering education
John Patrick Ternus was born in May 1975 in California, in the United States. Growing up, he loved learning how machines work and solving tricky puzzles. He went to college at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1997, he earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineers design and build tools, engines, and machines that help make life easier.
While studying at Penn, Ternus was also an active athlete. He competed on the university's men's swimming team. Swimming taught him discipline and teamwork. For his final college project, he designed an amazing invention. He built a special mechanical feeding arm. This robot arm helped people with quadriplegia, who cannot move their arms and legs, eat food on their own. They could control the feeding arm simply by moving their heads.
Career journey at Apple
After graduating from college, Ternus started his working career at a company named Virtual Research Systems. There, he helped build an early virtual reality headset. Virtual reality tools create digital worlds inside goggles. This job helped him become an expert at building small, complex computer parts.
Joining Apple during an exciting era
In 2001, Ternus joined Apple as part of the product design group. He arrived at an exciting moment in Apple's history. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had returned to lead the company. Apple was releasing popular computers like the colorful iMac. One of Ternus's first big projects was working on computer screens called the Apple Cinema Display.
Becoming a hardware leader
Ternus did very well at Apple, and his bosses noticed his talent. In 2013, Apple promoted him to vice president of hardware engineering. He worked directly under engineering chief Dan Riccio. In this role, Ternus managed large teams of designers and scientists. He guided the creation of new models of the Mac computer, the touchscreen iPad, and wireless AirPods.
In 2020, Ternus took on even more responsibility when he began supervising iPhone hardware. That same year, he helped lead the famous transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon. Instead of buying chips made by other companies, Apple decided to design its own powerful chips. This major switch made Mac laptops run much faster and stay cooler.
In 2021, Apple promoted Ternus to senior vice president of hardware engineering. News reporters at Bloomberg News noted that he was the youngest member of the executive team. They described him as charismatic, friendly, and well-liked by other workers. In late 2022, he also took charge of Apple Watch engineering.
Changing how Apple gadgets work
Engineers often balance how a product looks with how well it works. Earlier design leaders, like Jony Ive, often focused heavily on making devices super thin and sleek. When Ternus took charge of hardware, he changed this philosophy. He focused on making sure devices worked as well as possible for users. Because of this, new Apple computers gained back helpful features like regular plug ports and longer battery life.
In early 2026, Ternus was put in charge of Apple's industrial design team. Many experts realized this meant he was being prepared to lead the entire company.
Becoming Apple's chief executive officer
For several years, business experts viewed Ternus as the top choice to replace Tim Cook. On April 20, 2026, Apple made the big announcement. They revealed that Ternus would become the new CEO on September 1, 2026. On that date, Cook became Apple's executive chairman, and Ternus took over daily control of Apple.
Personal life and hobbies
When he is not designing technology, Ternus enjoys active outdoor sports. He loves cycling on bicycles to stay fit. He is also a big fan of car racing.
Ternus likes taking fast cars onto safe, professional tracks. He has driven his Porsche sports car around famous tracks, including the Laguna Seca raceway in California. He has also invited friends and work teammates on off-road rally driving trips in Washington state. Ternus lives in California, where he is married and has children.
