On Tuesday, John Ternus will take over as Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO after spending 25 years focused on the company’s hardware engineering operations. Meanwhile, Tim Cook will continue his relationship with President Donald Trump and the Chinese government.
Tim Cook’s Amazon-Style Succession Plan
Cook will step down after 15 years at the helm. He will remain at the company as executive chairman and continue to assist with matters, including maintaining sensitive relationships.
The outgoing CEO’s help will provide Ternus with valuable support as he adjusts to his new role. However, he will eventually need to establish his own leadership style, considering Apple faces challenges in AI, talent retention and next-gen products, according to Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman.
The arrangement between Cook and Ternus bears similarities with Jeff Bezos’ transition at Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN). Bezos resigned as CEO in 2021 but remained executive chairman, leaving Andy Jassy to take control of day-to-day operations, Gurman noted, citing people close to Apple.
