According to Bloomberg, Cook placed Apple’s storied design team under the oversight of Ternus toward the end of 2025, following the retirement of former COO Jeff Williams last November.

While the move has not been formally announced and is not reflected on Apple’s public org charts, it could represent a significant consolidation of power.

Ternus is now supposedly the “executive sponsor” for design across both hardware and software, and leads design discussions at the highest level of Apple’s executive meetings.

That responsibility carries enormous symbolic weight at a company where design has long been central to its identity.

Under Jony Ive, Apple’s design group shaped some of the most influential consumer products of the modern era.

Reportedly handing stewardship of that legacy to Ternus signals deep trust from Cook and the board - and places him at the crossroads of Apple’s most important decisions.

Ternus - who joined Apple in 2001 - rose to become Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering in 2021, overseeing development of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

In recent years, he has also become a more visible public face for Apple, regularly presenting flagship products at launch events - a role once closely associated with future leaders.

The timing matters, as Cook turned 65 in late 2025, and while there is no suggestion of an imminent departure, succession planning is now unavoidable.

Williams had long been viewed as a potential successor, but his exit appears to have cleared the path for Ternus.

Analysts increasingly believe Apple’s board wants a technologist CEO for its next chapter, as the company faces pressure to accelerate progress in AI, mixed reality, and smart home technology.