Tim Cook has officially stepped down from his role of Apple’s chief executive today on September 1, ending his long time period of 20 years.
He will be succeeded by John Ternus, Apple’s hardware engineering chief.
On his last day as CEO, Cook shared an emotional memo with Apple employees, reflecting on his time leading the company and thanking the team.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Cook stated, “Sending lots of love to the Apple community on my last day as CEO. My title changes tomorrow, but the love I have for the Apple community never will. Thank you for being a constant source of inspiration. My gratitude is endless, and I’m excited for the next chapter!”
Cook underscored that Apple’s success was driven by its people, stating he was most proud of his accomplishments that couldn’t be captured in an annual report.
Moreover, he appreciated Ternus, calling him a capable leader and expressing confidence in his ability to guide the company.
Tim Cook will remain at Apple
Although Cook is leaving the CEO role, he is not leaving Apple. He will take on the position of executive chairman and said he looks forward to continuing to see employees at Apple Park and around the world.
It’s worth mentioning Cook is only leaving the role of CEO; however, he is staying in Apple. He will assume the role of executive chairman.
He wrote, “As you know, I am not leaving Apple. But I am stepping away from a role that I have loved deeply. I will miss this work in ways I can only begin to imagine, even as I remain completely at peace with my decision. I will miss leading you and being with you for every step, even as I take enormous comfort in handing the helm to someone as brilliant and wonderful and capable as John.”
The leadership shift comes as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman revealed several details about Apple. His report said layoffs affecting the Vision Pro division extended to teams working on security, audio engineering, Siri integration, testing and visionOS.
