Inside John Ternus's Preparations for Apple's CEO Transition

John Ternus, Apple's incoming CEO, is assembling his leadership team with roughly one month to go before he takes the helm on September 1, 2026. His most striking move so far: bringing Laura Legros — a former vice president of hardware engineering who retired in 2022 — back to the company .

How John Ternus Is Building His Team

Bringing Laura Legros back from retirement. Legros was one of Ternus's most trusted deputies during his years running hardware engineering . She previously managed product delivery, development schedules, and coordination across engineering teams . In her new role, Legros will report directly to Ternus and work cross-functionally across different hardware teams to improve collaboration and prevent silos . The rehiring of a retired senior executive is a rare move for Apple .

Shaping his executive team under scrutiny. With the transition date approaching, Ternus has been actively assembling his core leadership team. Every new hire and role change is under close internal and external examination .

Relying on continuity with Tim Cook. Cook will not leave the company. He will stay on as executive chairman of Apple's board, providing stability and institutional knowledge during the handoff . Ternus, a mechanical engineer by training who joined Apple in 2001, is described as a "product guy" with deep hardware expertise .

Key Leadership Changes Taking Effect September 1

• CEO succession: Tim Cook steps down after 15 years as CEO. John Ternus (SVP of Hardware Engineering) becomes CEO and joins Apple's board .
• Board leadership: Cook transitions to executive chairman. Arthur Levinson moves from non-executive chairman to lead independent director .
• Hardware leadership restructuring: Johny Srouji has been elevated to Chief Hardware Officer, a newly created role that unifies Apple's silicon and hardware engineering under one senior leader .
• Departed executives: Apple has seen a significant loss of senior hardware talent in recent years. Yannick Bertolus, a VP of Hardware Engineering, retired in 2025 . Steve Hotelling, a key iPhone hardware technology leader behind multitouch displays, Touch ID, and Face ID, departed in 2023 . These departures have thinned Apple's engineering bench strength .

The Biggest Challenge: Fixing Apple's AI Strategy

Ternus's single greatest challenge is artificial intelligence. Apple experienced a well-documented "AI crisis" in 2025, falling behind competitors like Microsoft and Google in generative AI integration . CNBC has called fixing Apple's AI strategy his "defining challenge" .

Apple's stock performance reflects those concerns. As of late April 2026, Apple's stock was down roughly 2% year-to-date, underperforming the Nasdaq Composite's 6.8% gain — a gap analysts attribute partly to doubts about Apple's AI trajectory .

Other Key Challenges Ahead

• Rebuilding hardware engineering depth. The rehiring of Legros is a direct response to senior hardware departures. She brings back institutional knowledge and trusted leadership to strengthen the engineering pipeline .
• Navigating a post-Cook era. Ternus inherits a company approaching its 50th anniversary. He must maintain Apple's operational excellence while shifting toward a more product-focused leadership style .
• Managing supply chain and geopolitical strains. Cook's successor also faces a complex geopolitical landscape and rising memory costs driven by AI demand .