Apple enters the Ternus era as Cook steps back from CEO role
Tim Cook stepped down as Apple's CEO this week, handing the role to former hardware chief John Ternus, while staying on as Executive Chairman focused on policy matters.
Apple officially entered a new chapter this week as Tim Cook stepped down as chief executive, passing leadership to former hardware chief John Ternus. In his first internal memo, Ternus told employees to expect a "huge launch next week," a reference to Apple's upcoming iPhone event that now lands on his desk before he has even settled into the role.
Cook, however, isn't leaving the company entirely. He will remain as Executive Chairman, a position he intends to use to focus on relationships with policymakers and regulators — an area that recently proved delicate even over something as minor as a map label, which turned into a public balancing act for the company.
What comes next
The leadership change raises questions about what the Ternus era at Apple will look like, and how much latitude shareholders will give him to find his footing. On TechCrunch's Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec and Sean O'Kane discussed what Ternus is walking into as he takes charge. They suggested he may actually be better positioned to drive progress in software than in hardware during this new era shaped by artificial intelligence, alongside other notable developments from the week in tech.
