Apple quietly expands the role of hardware chief John Ternus to include design teams across the company: What's behind CEO Tim Cook's management shakeup

Apple has handed its iconic design division to hardware engineering chief John Ternus in a move that positions him as the clear frontrunner to succeed Tim Cook as CEO, according to report from Bloomberg. Cook made the change at the end of 2025, though it hasn't been officially announced or reflected in Apple's organizational charts. Ternus now acts as the "executive sponsor" for all design work, representing the design team in executive meetings and bridging communication between designers and Apple's leadership. It's a role that carries significant weight—Apple's design teams have only ever reported to the company's most powerful executives: Jony Ive until 2019, Cook himself from 2015-2017, and former COO Jeff Williams from 2019 until his retirement last year.The shift is seen as a part of broader succession planning as the 65-year-old Cook, who has led Apple since 2011, prepares for an eventual transition. The New York Times reports that Cook has privately told senior leaders he's looking to reduce his workload, with the expectation he'd become board chairman upon stepping down as CEO.Ternus checks several boxes for the top job. At 50, he's the same age Cook was when he replaced Steve Jobs. He shares Cook's reputation for operational precision and deep supply chain expertise. Apple has been steadily raising his profile—he introduced the iPhone Air, led the transition from Intel chips to Apple's own processors, and recently greeted customers at the iPhone 17 launch in London, a role Cook typically fills.Not everyone inside Apple is convinced Ternus is the right choice. While respected for his engineering chops and even temperament, he's seen more as a product maintainer than an innovator. "If you want to make an iPhone every year, Ternus is your guy," a former Apple employee told the Times, hinting at concerns about his ability to drive breakthrough products.Bloomberg notes the company deliberately avoided announcing the design team change, wary of fueling speculation about Cook's timeline. Design decisions remain collaborative, with software chief Craig Federighi and marketing head Greg Joswiak still weighing in on Apple's direction.