Profile
Who John Ternus is
John Ternus is the CEO of Apple and a member of its board of directors. Apple's own leadership biography states that he joined the company's product design team in 2001, became a vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013, and joined the executive team in 2021 as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.
On April 20, 2026, Apple announced that Tim Cook would become executive chairman and that Ternus would become CEO effective September 1, 2026. That date is now in effect. Cook remains at the company in the chairman role; Ternus holds day-to-day CEO authority.
This website is an independent briefing on Ternus's publicly documented career, engineering work, and the leadership transition. It is not Apple's site and is not endorsed by Apple or by Ternus.
John Ternus at a glance
- Name
- John Ternus (John Patrick Ternus in some biographical accounts)
- Current role
- Chief Executive Officer, Apple Inc.
- CEO effective
- September 1, 2026
- Age / birth
- Born May 1975 in California; 51 as of September 2026
- Nationality
- American
- Education
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 1997
- Joined Apple
- 2001, product design team (about 25 years before CEO)
- Previous Apple role
- Senior Vice President, Hardware Engineering (2021–2026)
- Before Apple
- Mechanical engineer, Virtual Research Systems
- Known areas of work
- iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch hardware engineering
- Board
- Apple board of directors, effective September 1, 2026
- CEO salary
- $3 million a year (SEC 8-K/A, Sept. 1, 2026)
- FY2027 equity target
- $55 million (performance- and time-based RSUs)
- Family / religion
- FT reported married with children; religion not published
- First CEO event
- Sept. 9, 2026 — unveiled iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable
Career timeline
Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Competitive swimmer; senior project on a head-actuated feeding device.
Mechanical engineer working on virtual-reality headsets and related hardware.
Product design team. Apple and later profiles identify his first product work as the Apple Cinema Display.
The New York Times, citing a former colleague, says he led hardware engineering for iMacs in the G5 era.
Apple: became a vice president of Hardware Engineering. Oversight expanded to Mac, iPad and AirPods work.
Multiple reports say he took on iPhone hardware, previously overseen by Dan Riccio.
Joined Apple's executive team as SVP of Hardware Engineering, succeeding Dan Riccio in that role.
Reported expansion of his hardware remit to Apple Watch.
Apple announces Ternus will become CEO on September 1, 2026; Tim Cook becomes executive chairman.
Takes office as CEO and joins the board. Cook becomes executive chairman; Arthur Levinson becomes lead independent director. SEC filing sets $3 million salary and $55 million FY2027 equity target.
Leads Apple's 'Surprise and Shine' event and unveils iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable iPhone, plus the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.
Latest
Latest updates
First Apple event as CEO: iPhone Duo
September 9, 2026 — Ternus unveils Apple's first foldable iPhone eight days after taking office.
John Ternus becomes Apple CEO
September 1, 2026 — confirmed by Apple's April announcement and leadership pages.
CEO pay, from Apple's SEC filing
$3 million salary and a $55 million fiscal 2027 equity target. Not a net-worth guess.
Explore
Major topics
Apple's new CEO
Who runs Apple now: John Ternus, since September 1, 2026.
Fact sheet
Age, full name, education, pay, family — sourced, with unknowns labeled.
Biography
Who he is: age, education, and the documented career path.
Education / college
University of Pennsylvania, mechanical engineering, class of 1997.
Age
51 as of September 2026. Born May 1975 in California.
Family
FT: married with children. Names are not published here.
Salary
$3 million base and a $55 million FY2027 equity target.
iPhone Duo
First foldable iPhone, unveiled at his first CEO event.
FAQ
Age, college, family, email, religion, pay.
Frequently asked questions
Who is John Ternus?
John Ternus is the chief executive officer of Apple Inc., effective September 1, 2026. He is a mechanical engineer who joined Apple's product design team in 2001 and later led Hardware Engineering.
When did John Ternus become Apple CEO?
September 1, 2026, as announced by Apple on April 20, 2026.
Where did John Ternus go to college?
The University of Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1997.
How old is John Ternus?
He was born in May 1975 and was widely described as 51 when he became CEO in September 2026.
What did he do before becoming CEO?
He was Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering from 2021 to 2026, and a vice president of Hardware Engineering from 2013.
Is John Ternus married?
The Financial Times reported that he is married and has children. Apple does not name them.
How much does John Ternus make?
Apple's September 1, 2026 SEC filing set a $3 million salary and a $55 million fiscal 2027 equity target.
More questions: John Ternus FAQ.
Sources
- Tim Cook to become Apple Executive Chairman; John Ternus to become Apple CEO (Apple Newsroom)
- Apple Leadership — John Ternus (Apple)
- Apple Leadership (Apple)