(MENAFN- Live Mint) The media is full of reports that Tim Cook is set to step down as the chief executive officer of Apple and all indications point to John Ternus being the designated successor. The latter currently serves the company as senior vice president of hardware engineering, according to Fortune.

The speculation about Cook stepping away gained ground after the chief operating officer of Apple, Jeff Williams, who was seen as the 'natural' successor to Cook, decided to leave at the end of the year. He has already given up operational responsibilities.

Who is John Ternus?

As per his LinkedIn profile, Ternus graduated with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. While attending that college, he was also an avid swimmer and won the 50-meter dash and the 200-meter individual medley in a university competition.

He began his stint at Apple in 2001. He has been part of the product design team at the tech giant since then.

According to Fortune, he has been part of the group overseeing the production of every major Apple product over the years. The Apple public relations team has been focusing its attention on him over the last few months, and he has been getting involved in areas that extend beyond his current job responsibilities.

Ternus is 50, the same age as Cook when he took over, meaning that he may stay in charge for at least a decade, something the board of directors approves of, Fortune writes.

Also read: Is Tim Cook preparing to leave Apple? Here's how much in stocks and cash he could take with him

Challenges before John Ternus

One of the biggest responsibilities of an Apple chief is to speak before a live audience, while being watched by millions at home, during product launches. Here, Ternus has an advantage in that he has been making regular public appearances, as reported by Yahoo Finance.

Yahoo also reports that in 2023, Cook had said that he had“very detailed succession plans” in his mind.“My job is to prepare several people to for the ability to succeed, and I really want the person to come from within Apple,” the current CEO had told Dua Lipa in an interview that year.

The stage is now set for a major transition in the tech world. John Ternus will now become the face of Apple. Only time will tell if he is up to the challenge.

FAQsWho is John Ternus?

Ternus is rumored to be the designated successor of Tim Cook as Apple CEO.

Who is currently the CEO of Apple?

Tim Cook.

How old is John Ternus?

50.

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