Why Apple's new CEO faces a management shake-up
What's the story
John Ternus, the incoming CEO of Apple, is expected to make major changes in the company's executive team. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the changes will mainly affect senior executives in hardware, marketing, retail and human resources. The transition comes as Tim Cook prepares to step down from his role as CEO on September 1 and take up a new position as executive chairman of Apple's board.
Retirement plan
Cook's management team mostly in their 60s
Cook's management team, which has been loyal to Steve Jobs, is mostly in their 60s now.
The gradual retirement plan was put in place by Cook as early as 2024.
He and three other senior leaders - COO, CFO, and General Counsel - wanted to retire or semi-retire.
Their exits were staggered to avoid a backlash from shareholders and employees at once.
Leadership changes
Key executives who are set to retire soon
Luca Maestri, who was succeeded by Kevan Parekh as CFO at the start of 2025, still oversees real estate and information systems but is not involved in day-to-day management.
Jeff Williams left his position as head of operations, health, design, and AppleCare at the end of 2025.
General Counsel Kate Adams and environment chief Lisa Jackson have also announced their retirements.
Succession plans
Deirdre O'Brien's potential exit and succession plans
Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's SVP of retail and people, has been with the company for nearly four decades. She is believed to be nearing retirement.
On the retail side, her deputy Vanessa Trigub has been groomed as a successor.
The HR aspect of the role remains uncertain, with potential candidates being an outside hire or an internal candidate like Cynthia Bowman.
Future prospects
Hardware chief Johny Srouji's considerations
Apple's Chief Hardware Officer Johny Srouji, who was named chief hardware officer in April, is also considering leaving.
He has stayed on for a broader remit and to help with the handover after reorganizing hardware teams in May.
However, Gurman suggests that he may consider leaving again within a year or two as there isn't much left in silicon beyond steady chip improvements for him to tackle.
Marketing leadership
Marketing chief Greg Joswiak's future at Apple
Greg Joswiak, Apple's marketing chief and a close friend of Ternus, is expected to leave within a few years.
The potential successors for his position are Lilian Rincon, who was recently appointed to lead AI marketing, and Kaiann Drance, the long-time iPhone marketing head.