John Ternus takes over as Apple's chief executive on Tuesday, becoming only the third CEO in 30 years. Ternus, who currently serves as the company's hardware engineering chief, has been with the tech giant for 25 years and reportedly enjoys strong backing across its ranks.
His predecessor, Tim Cook, will remain with the company as executive chair. Cook told employees that while he will miss the role of chief executive officer, he has enormous comfort in the leadership of Ternus.
Ternus inherits a company that towers over the smartphone market but trails its rivals in artificial intelligence. His primary challenge is to correct the company's faltering AI strategy to preserve its position as a big tech leader, especially as he begins his tenure at a critical juncture marked by soaring memory prices and looming AI challenges.
The appointment comes just one week before the iPhone's annual event on September 9.