Overview
- Bloomberg reports that Tim Cook tapped hardware chief John Ternus late last year to act as the design organization’s “executive sponsor,” bridging design teams and Apple’s top leadership.
- The expanded remit gives Ternus executive-level oversight of hardware and software design strategy while he represents the design group in leadership meetings and manages its senior leads.
- Organizational charts still list design heads as reporting directly to Cook, and Apple declined to comment on the behind-the-scenes change.
- The move follows executive turnover including COO Jeff Williams’ 2025 retirement and human interface chief Alan Dye’s December departure, as Ternus’ public profile has grown with product introductions such as the iPhone Air.
- Design calls at Apple continue to be made by senior-leader consensus, with Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak influential, and there are no signs Cook plans to step down soon even as Ternus is widely viewed as a leading internal successor.