Apple’s empire enters the Ternus era

John Ternus takes charge of Apple this week, beginning a carefully managed transition after 15 years of Tim Cook’s leadership. Ternus will receive annual compensation of $58 million in salary and company stock, while Cook, now executive chairman, will earn about $47 million.

The new chief executive is a 51-year-old engineer who joined Apple in 2001 and most recently served as vice president of hardware engineering. He helped shape several iPhone models, and the smartphone sold 250 million units worldwide last year. His product-focused background differs from Cook’s reputation for logistics and diplomacy.

Ternus’s first major test is expected on September 9, when Apple presents its first foldable iPhone, nine years after Samsung introduced its own. The change comes as Apple prepares to launch new products, address the challenge of artificial intelligence and manage growing geopolitical tensions.

The market expects Ternus to write Apple’s artificial-intelligence chapter. The company trails major U.S. technology rivals in that field, and some analysts have questioned whether a leader without deep expertise in the latest technological shift is the right choice. Apple’s strength, however, remains its products, from the iPhone to the Mac. So far, no smartphone company has turned AI functions into a decisive sales argument.

The new arrangement is designed to let Ternus focus on operations and product development while Cook handles political affairs. That includes navigating pressure from the governments of the United States and China, where most of Apple’s production is concentrated. The transition therefore pairs a product-oriented chief executive with a chairman whose experience lies in management, logistics and diplomacy.