Who is John Ternus really? 5 surprising facts that show Apple's next CEO
isn't Tim Cook 2.0

Date:
Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:19:17 +0000

Description:
'Johnny Appleseed' will soon take over from 'Tim Apple' (ahem), and here are some interesting and some rather odd facts about him.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter The online world is buzzing with the news that Apple is going to have a new chief executive later this year. Tim Cook has announced that in September, he'll be handing over the reins to John Ternus , who is currently Senior Vice
President of Hardware Engineering at Apple.

In short, Ternus is head hardware honcho across all Apple's products, but not for much longer, as the big promotion is less than half a year away. You may not know a whole lot about Ternus, as he hasn't been in the limelight as much as some of Apple's other major execs. Cook said of his replacement: "John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart
to lead with integrity and with honor." Article continues below You may like Tim Cook stepping down at Apple, John Ternus will become new CEO 'Our values haven't changed' Tim Cook on dealing with Trump He is a once-in-a-thousand-years kind of person: Tim Cook explains how the Steve Jobs reality distortion field convinced him to join Apple

What he is, by all accounts, is a reliable presence, and a steady hand with
a similar temperament to Tim Cook to take over the rudder of the company and steer it through whatever choppy waters the RAM crisis may bring for the remainder of this decade. He's also 50 years old, which, interestingly
enough, is the exact same age at which Cook took the top job at Apple back in 2011. However, while there are clear similarities between the two execs,
there are notable differences, too, which we're going to explore in this list of surprising and perhaps even weird ways that Ternus definitely isn't Cook. 1. The hardware guy who started in VR (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) While John Ternus may have a measured and more risk-averse demeanour ( as Bloomberg reports ), which is close to Tim Cook's nature, one clear
difference is that he's an engineer at heart. Ternus has been intimately involved with the ins and outs of hardware in his career, and the hope of
many is that the presence of an engineer in the CEO job is going to be reflected in the design and implementation of future Apple products.

Given his background, when it comes to top-level decisions, Ternus should be in a better position to understand the nuts and bolts of what Apple is trying to do with its hardware. And interestingly, his first job after leaving university was with a VR company. From 1997 through 2001, before he joined Apple, Ternus was a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems, working on VR headsets. Bear in mind that this was still early days for VR, of
course. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

For one thing, this experience should give Ternus a unique position and understanding to help develop the Vision Pro headset, which has certainly had its issues (notably the price tag, though it's making strides of late as an entertainment powerhouse ). 2. Robotic arm (Image credit: Getty Images)
Before Virtual Research Systems, Ternus attended the University of Pennsylvania, where his senior project was a mechanical 'feeding arm ', as Apple Insider reports . This was an invention for quadriplegics that could be controlled by their head movements.

It's interesting to note that Apple has a rumored project in the works, which consists of a robotic arm with a screen attached , and Ternus would be a very well-informed CEO for this venture. Mind you, Apple's tabletop robot is just
a theory and is likely years away (if it ever comes to fruition). But still, it's another interesting element of potential product-based synergy with the appointment of Ternus. What to read next You cant spread your energy like peanut butter: Tim Cook shares rare insight into Apples ruthless approach to new ideas and it says a lot about what to expect (or not) from the company moving forward Tim Cook says his 24-karat gift to President Trump wasnt a political statement Apple turns 50 were live tracking the celebration, surprises, and more 3. Rush to the top Rush - The Spirit Of Radio - YouTube Watch On As highlighted on Reddit , apparently, Ternus is a fan of the rock band Rush. This comes from what's reportedly his yearbook quote: "Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies."

It's a lyric taken from the song "Losing It" by Rush, and seemingly, Ternus isn't the only Rush fan at Apple. Apparently, Craig Federighi may also enjoy hearing "The Spirit of Radio" or similar ( as per Wikipedia ), possibly singing the prog rock band's hits at office karaoke parties. (But not Tim
Cook well, I'm guessing, and presumably not all of Apple's top execs are
Rush addicts, unless that's a hitherto hidden qualification for entrance to the C-suite inner circle). 4. The other side of Ternus (Image credit: Apple) If you think Ternus might be a typical hardware nerd, think again. As Fortune reports , he was quite the swimmer in his youth, and Ternus was an 'all-time letter winner' for the men's swimming team at the University of Pennsylvania.

Bloomberg also highlighted that he's a keen cycling enthusiast, and very much into car racing, seemingly taking Apple colleagues to upstate Washington for
a spot of off-road rallying now and then. Underneath that calm exterior,
then, there appears to be something of an adrenaline junkie. 5. Ternus has a LinkedIn page of sorts (Image credit: LinkedIn) Unlike Tim Cook, Ternus does have a LinkedIn profile but you've got to wonder why, seeing as it's been left as a truly barebones effort.

Again, this was picked up by an eagle-eyed Redditor , who spied the page for Ternus, which is as sparse as can be (and is barely ever looked at by the incoming CEO, by all accounts although most denizens of Reddit consider that to be a good thing, mind).

There wasn't even a photo on the profile page when the Redditor took a screenshot, but interestingly, now there is maybe Ternus will populate it a bit more thoroughly going forward. Or maybe the exec will just delete it. Watch that space. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

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