Apple has announced that John Ternus, until now Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, will be the company’s new CEO effective September 1 of this year, replacing Tim Cook, who will become Executive Chairman of Apple’s Board of Directors, and will collaborate on various aspects of the business, including interacting with policy makers around the world.
“I love Apple with all my being and I am deeply grateful”
The move marks the end of a stage in the company, after 15 years of leadership by Tim Cook, who assures that being CEO of Apple has been “the greatest privilege“of his life.”I love Apple with all my being and I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a team of resourceful, innovative, creative and committed people who have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world.”, he commented in a statement from Apple.
In addition, the company has shared a letter written by Tim Cook in which he addresses the Apple community, that is, colleagues, partners and consumers, to thank them for their trust during his time on the business front. In the text, he also ventures a positive path for Apple under the leadership of John Ternys, whom he describes as “a brilliant engineer and thinker“.
Below you can read Tim Cook’s full letter:
“For the past 15 years, I’ve started almost every morning the same way. I open my email and read the messages I received the day before from Apple users around the world.
They share with me small fragments of their lives and tell me how Apple has influenced them. About the moment his mother was saved thanks to her Apple Watch. About the perfect selfie they took on top of a mountain that seemed impossible to climb. They thank me for how Mac has changed the way they work, and sometimes they scold me because something they care about isn’t working the way it should.
In each of those emails I feel the heartbeat of our shared humanity. I feel a growing responsibility to work harder and improve myself. But most of all, I feel a gratitude that I cannot put into words, to have become the person on the other end of those emails, the leader of a company that ignites the imagination and enriches lives in ways so profound that they defy description. It has been an honor and a privilege.
Today we announce that I am taking the next step in my career at Apple. In the coming months, I will be taking on a new role: I will step down from the CEO position in September and become Executive Chairman of Apple. A new person will take the reins of what, in my heart, I consider the best job in the world. That leader is John Ternus, a brilliant engineer and thinker who has spent the last 25 years creating the Apple products our users love, obsessed with every detail and focused on how to make something bolder, more beautiful and more meaningful. He is the ideal person for the position.
John cares deeply about who we are at Apple, what we do, and who we reach. You have the calling and character necessary to lead with exceptional integrity. I am extremely proud to announce you as the next CEO of Apple. Under his leadership, this company will reach incredible heights, and his impact will be felt in every detail of the satisfaction and discovery that arises from the products and services to come. I can’t wait for you to get to know him like I do.
This is not goodbye. But in this moment of transition, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you. Not on behalf of the company, this time, although within our offices there is immense gratitude towards you. But simply in my name. Tim. A person who grew up in the countryside in another era and who, during these magical moments, became the CEO of the best company in the world. Thank you for the trust and kindness you have shown me. Thank you for greeting me on the street and in our stores. Thank you for celebrating with me when we introduce a new product or service. Thank you, above all, for believing in me to lead the company that has always put you at the center of our work. Every day we wake up thinking about what we can do to improve your life a little. And every day, you have made mine the best I could have ever wanted.
Thank you”.
