Overview
- The Financial Times reports Apple’s board and senior leaders have recently intensified preparations for a handover, with Tim Cook potentially stepping down as early as next year.
- Hardware engineering chief John Ternus is widely viewed inside Apple as the leading internal contender to succeed Cook, though no final decision has been made.
- Sources say the transition is long‑planned and not related to current performance, with a strong holiday quarter expected for the iPhone.
- Apple is unlikely to name a successor before its late‑January results, and the timing of any announcement could still change.
- Leadership changes are underway: longtime COO Jeff Williams officially retired this week with duties redistributed across senior executives, and Kevan Parekh has replaced CFO Luca Maestri.