Who will succeed Tim Cook as Apple’s CEO once he retires

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

As Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, continues to steer the tech giant through its successes and challenges, speculation mounts over who will take the reins when Cook eventually steps down. Cook took over as the CEO after Steve Jobs in 2011 and has led the tech giant ever since.

In Bloomberg’s recent The Big Take podcast, Mark Gurman joined host David Gura to discuss who could the crown eventually go to and one prominent figure often cited as a frontrunner is Jeff Williams, Apple’s current chief operating officer (COO). Interestingly, Cook was the COO under Jobs before being named the CEO.

According to Gurman, Williams currently runs Apple’s entire operations and is in charge of the company’s supply chain. Often dubbed ‘Tim Cook’s Tim Cook,’ Williams’ background closely mirrors Cook’s, from his tenure at Apple to his southern upbringing and MBA from Duke University. However, at only two years younger than Cook and nearing his early sixties, Williams’ age could pose a challenge in succeeding Cook, particularly if Cook plans to extend his tenure for another 3-5 years.

While Williams remains a strong contender, concerns arise regarding his age and the need for a long-term CEO capable of navigating Apple’s future challenges.

Among other potential candidates, Gurman notes that Craig Federighi, responsible for software engineering, lacks the necessary business acumen to helm the entire company. There’s also Deirdre O’Brien, overseeing Apple’s retail operations. “Apple probably wants to try something new for a new era and not go with another operations or an HR person,” Gurman said.

In a crowd of top executives nearing their retirement ages, one name gaining traction is John Ternus, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering.

“He joined Apple’s executive team in 2021. He has quickly risen through the ranks. He used to be a VP in charge of Mac computer engineering. He eventually added the iPad, added AirPods. More recently, he added the iPhone and the Apple watch. And now he’s in charge of basically all of the money-making hardware for Apple,” Gurman said.

Ternus is increasingly becoming an important face at the company. He’s been increasingly promoted in their marketing. He’s dealing with regulators in terms of right-to-repair laws. Gurman added that he even had a “marquee” role at a company executive conference recently and just this week he was called on by Cook to introduce the iPad Air during the online ‘Let Loose’ event.

Despite speculation over potential successors, Cook is under no pressure to step down anytime soon. With ongoing challenges such as regulatory scrutiny and the need for innovation, Cook remains focused on leading Apple forward. The stock price has also been positive during Cook’s tenure.

“And so I think Tim Cook is going to be the CEO of Apple as long as he wants to be the CEO of Apple and he won’t step down a day before that,” Gurman said.

Also Read: Inside Battersea Power Station where Apple hosted its first of a kind event for iPads

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow