Overview
- Tim Cook tapped John Ternus at the end of 2025 to serve as the design organization’s “executive sponsor,” according to Bloomberg reporting cited by multiple outlets.
- Ternus now represents design in executive meetings and manages design leaders, acting as the bridge between design staff and Apple’s top leadership.
- Design heads still report to Cook on paper, and major design decisions continue to be made by consensus among senior leaders rather than by a single executive.
- The change follows the 2025 retirement of COO Jeff Williams, who previously oversaw design, and recent turnover that includes interface design chief Alan Dye’s move to Meta.
- Cook is not expected to step down soon, but Ternus, 50, is being positioned as a leading internal successor and has taken on an increasingly public-facing role.