He is a hardware engineer from California, educated at the University of Pennsylvania and a real insider at Apple.
John Ternus walked through the doors of 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino in 2001, and has steadily climbed the ranks ever since. He started working on Mac displays, became head of Mac and iPads in 2013, and joined the executive team in 2021. Now, he takes over the reins from Tim Cook, who has been CEO since 2011.
Here are some of the problems that Ternus faces.
1. Step out of Cook's shadow.
The first big challenge for the new CEO is to fill the shoes left by Tim Cook. He was a remarkably successful CEO in transforming the business model into a global multi-trillion-dollar powerhouse, largely built around the iPhone, said Ben Wood, chief analyst at telecoms research firm FDM CCS Insight.
Tim Cook remains with the company as chairman of the board.
That will probably help. But Ternus needs to be given enough independence to lead the company in a different direction, says Rajat Roy, a lecturer at Australia's Bond Business School.
2. Get new gadgets.
Apple makes a living off its iPhone and has become increasingly dependent on its peripheral services over the years. But under Cook's leadership, Apple has been criticized for not being inventive enough.
Customers think they have no good reason to upgrade or change their phone, because the iPhone 17 is not that much better than the 16. So it will be a challenge for John Ternus to come up with new products that customers will get started on, says Roy.
However, Wood emphasizes that the iPhone is unique.
It's a product that other companies could only dream of. And we've also seen Apple introduce new products, like the Apple Watch, AirPods, and AirTags, that have all sold well - hundreds of millions of units - that other companies would classify as massive successes.
3. Dealing with Trump's whims and geopolitics
All major companies in the US have to deal with the unpredictability of the current government, with tariffs, domestic manufacturing requirements, and relations with other countries. The EU has also flexed its muscles in recent years, which led to newer iPhones now charging with USB-C, among other things.
"There I think Ternus is lucky that Tim Cook is not leaving the company. His expertise over the last ten years has largely been in diplomatic missions, and I think he will have a clearer role in this regard towards governments and authorities," says Wood.
4. What should happen to AI?
Apple's attempts at AI have been a mess, with delays and broken promises. Earlier this year, the company revealed that it was bringing in Google and its Gemini to help.
The challenge will be to seamlessly integrate Gemini into their existing models, says Roy.
"We're going to see big changes this year with (voice control service) Siri AI and Apple Intelligence. But let me be clear: users value the hardware and the user experience and the ecosystem. AI is just one part of that," Wood said.
5. Keep track of supply chains.
Wars, pandemics and geopolitical tensions have disrupted supply chains and led to semiconductor shortages in recent years, while AI companies' hunt for memory chips has also pushed up prices for some consumer products like phones.
He has to work around these problems to manage the company, and still drive sales, says Roy.
At the same time, Ternus is taking over one of the world's most successful companies, and Ben Wood believes that his takeover has been synchronized with some upcoming major product presentations, according to the rumor mill, including the first foldable iPhone model.
There is zero room to sit back. But John Ternus inherits a very well-oiled machine.
