Without Cook's Apple, can it continue to grow sustainably in the AI era?

The Rise of Apple’s New CEO: A Hardware Expert Takes Over in the AI Era

Author: Rolfe Winkler, The Wall Street Journal
Translation: Peggy, BlockBeats

Author: Rhythm BlockBeats

Source:

Reprint: Mars Finance

Editor’s note: After Jobs and Cook, Apple has finally welcomed its third truly “timely successor.” Unlike the distinctive labels of the previous two (one defining products, the other reshaping the supply chain), John Ternus’s rise is more like a continuation of internal logic: a “systematic figure” familiar with the organization, understanding of products, and capable of advancing decisions within a complex structure.

This article outlines John Ternus’s growth path within Apple. From pragmatic updates to the Mac Mini, to decentralized coordination in AirPods development, and then to driving the transition to in-house Mac chips, Ternus’s role has always been about ensuring the system operates efficiently rather than defining vision from the spotlight.

From a broader perspective, Ternus’s appointment marks a shift for Apple from a phase of “product vision + supply chain execution” to a cycle requiring a redefinition of growth engines. As a typical hardware engineer executive, he stands out for his execution, internal collaboration, and deep understanding of the product ecosystem; his decision-making logic consistently prioritizes ecological value over single-product profits.

Ternus’s strength lies in his profound understanding of Apple’s internal mechanisms and his ability to “get things done” within a functional organization; his uncertainty, however, is whether he can propose a clear enough and sufficiently risky product direction on top of the existing system.

Meanwhile, in the new generation computing interface represented by conversational AI, Apple is gradually falling behind competitors, with the gap in Siri’s capabilities continuously widening. The shift in technological paradigms is weakening its previous hardware-centered advantage foundation.

Therefore, the key to this succession is not whether Apple can maintain its existing achievements, but whether it can break through: whether Ternus has product insights similar to Jobs or the systemic restructuring ability of Cook remains an open question. The implicit judgment in the article is that Apple’s current constraints are not on execution but on strategic direction: in the AI era, whether hardware advantages can once again translate into platform advantages will determine if this “engineer-type CEO” can truly initiate the next cycle.

From this perspective, this transition is more like a path choice: whether to continue optimizing existing products and ecosystems or to re-bet on an unclear technological direction.

The answer may soon become clear.

Below is the original text:

The Mac Mini has long needed an update, and John Ternus hopes he no longer has to go through the design master Jony Ive’s hurdle.

Years ago, before Ternus was selected to lead one of the world’s largest and most influential companies, he was responsible for leading Apple’s Mac hardware division. This was just one of many stages in his rise within this relatively closed company, during which he gradually learned how to navigate its unique and complex internal politics.

At that time, the AI wave that would later make the Mac Mini very popular was still years away, but software developers already urgently needed a new version equipped with updated chips. Redesigning the Mini’s shell might have required involvement from Ive’s industrial design team, potentially causing additional delays.

Sources say that after determining that the product did not require major design changes, Ternus decisively pushed for this update. He did not focus too much on the product’s profitability but instead emphasized its value to Apple’s overall ecosystem. This is just one of many cases demonstrating his decisiveness, deep understanding of Apple’s culture and products, and ability to push initiatives internally.

On Monday, Apple announced that these traits would propel Ternus to the highest position in the company after a 25-year career, with him officially taking over on September 1st, instantly becoming one of the most watched corporate leaders worldwide. Longtime Apple CEO Tim Cook (Tim Cook) will transition to Executive Chairman.

Ternus will succeed two legendary figures. Steve Jobs created the most profitable product in history—the iPhone; Cook, on the other hand, has extracted trillions of dollars in value from this smartphone through his supply chain system and continuous launch of services and peripherals.

Similar to when Cook succeeded Jobs, Ternus is still seen as a relatively low-profile figure externally. If Jobs was a product visionary, and Cook a supply chain expert, Ternus is more like a hardware genius between the two.

With a background in mechanical engineering, Ternus has recently been responsible for hardware engineering across all Apple products. At key moments in Apple’s history, he has taken the helm of the company. Currently, Apple remains at the peak in iPhone sales thanks to several new models launched last fall, but the company also faces a challenge—how to find the next blockbuster product.

Additionally, Apple must reinvent itself in the AI era. Over the past decades, Apple has defined how people interact with desktop and mobile computing, but now, in the new generation of computing platforms represented by human-like chatbots, the company has fallen behind competitors. Apple’s own Siri (expected to undergo an “AI brain” upgrade this year) appears quite “primitive and outdated” in comparison.

Ask any Apple employee about Ternus’s reputation, and the answer is almost unanimous: he is very easy to get along with. Colleagues describe him as an excellent collaborator who can inspire high loyalty within teams; he is calm and rational, and in a company known for internal tensions and strong personalities, he has almost no enemies.

Employees also mention his strong ability to push matters forward in meetings, always keeping discussions focused; at the same time, he prefers to communicate directly with frontline employees who are more familiar with product details rather than through management with less understanding of specifics.

Outside Apple, Ternus enjoys racing his Porsche on tracks like Laguna Seca in California. Insiders say his lap times can go under 1 minute 40 seconds, which is quite impressive for an amateur driver.

Tall and slim, he still maintains the physique he had as a swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania. His former teammate Andrew Berkowitz recalls: “Ternus is a very good person.” He also mentions that the team had a tradition—running along campus Locust Walk in swim trunks during winter as an annual “initiation” for freshmen.

Ternus graduated in 1997, then worked at a virtual reality startup for four years before joining Apple in 2001.

Ten years ago, Ternus was one of the core executives responsible for developing AirPods. Today, this product, now an essential accessory for the iPhone, was developed amid intense internal conflicts—colleagues argued over how to maintain stable wireless connection via Bluetooth. Eventually, one executive left, and another was transferred to China. Meanwhile, the then-under-40 Ternus remained outside the disputes.

One of his most important achievements during his tenure was driving Apple’s Mac product line from Intel chips to self-developed chips. These chips outperform previous Intel solutions in both performance and power consumption. However, the main credit for this transition usually goes to Apple’s hardware technology head Johny Srouji, who will take over and expand the hardware engineering work currently led by Ternus.

Ternus’s coordination skills and long experience at Apple will be crucial in his new role. Apple’s organizational structure is quite unique: unlike other large companies divided by business lines with general managers, Apple adopts a functional division model. Therefore, an “insider” familiar with all parts of the company has a natural advantage as CEO.

However, according to sources, Ternus is not known for “bold, high-risk decisions,” leaving an open question: whether he can provide the product vision critics believe has been missing since Steve Jobs’s passing.

Ternus has already been regarded as a key guardian of the company’s culture. He has hosted multiple internal talks to motivate employees and repeatedly emphasized maintaining absolute confidentiality about unreleased products—one of the core principles established during the Jobs era.

For months, Ternus has been seen as Tim Cook’s successor, reflecting Apple’s efforts to ensure a smooth leadership transition—contrast with some recent turbulent handovers at other longstanding American companies.

Recently, Apple has also been actively increasing his public exposure.

During the launch of the 2025 device lineup, Ternus personally showcased the new iPhone Air; shortly after, he was sent to London to greet customers on the first day of the new device’s sale at the flagship store. Last month, he also announced the company’s latest product—the more affordable MacBook Neo.

A few weeks ago, Apple held its 50th-anniversary celebration at Grand Central Terminal in New York. The only two main figures present were Cook and Ternus.