Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO: Read his memo to employees

If you’ve watched enough Apple keynotes, you know the line. The pause, the smile, the room settling in, and then Tim Cook’s unmistakable “Good morning.”

At this year’s WWDC in June, that moment will likely land a little differently. It could very well be the last time Cook opens Apple’s flagship event as CEO.

After almost a year of speculation, Apple confirmed that Cook will be stepping down from the post and transition to the role of executive chairman later this year, with John Ternus set to take over as CEO on September 1, 2026. The leadership change, approved unanimously by Apple’s board, follows a long-running succession plan — one that signals continuity rather than disruption at the iPhone maker.


Also Read: Apple's Tim Cook to step down as CEO in September

Cook’s note reads like both a reflection and a handover.

He goes back to 2011, when Steve Jobs asked him to step into the CEO role — calling it an “emotional and challenging moment.” What follows isn’t a list of products or financial milestones, but a reminder of the values that have guided Apple under his leadership: simplicity over complexity, a focus on meaningful innovation, and an impatience with anything short of excellence.

Those ideas, Cook makes clear, aren’t going anywhere.

If anything, they’re central to why John Ternus is stepping in. Cook describes him as a “visionary” with “remarkable integrity,” someone who understands not just how Apple builds products, but why. The subtext is hard to miss: this is continuity, not disruption.

Here is Cook’s memo to employees:

Team,Fifteen years ago, my friend and mentor Steve Jobs asked me to step into the role of CEO. It was an emotional and challenging moment for all of us at Apple, and I hoped I’d be up for the awesome responsibility I was taking on.

I knew then what I know now: that there are certain values embedded in Apple that are bigger than any of us; a belief in the simple, not the complex; a determination to innovate with a focus on those few things that are truly important to the world and meaningful to us; an impatience for anything less than excellence in every group in the company; a commitment to enriching the lives of those we have a privilege to touch with our work; and a resolve to do all that we can to leave the world better than we found it. Those were the values that made Apple what it was then, and I am proud to say that they are the ideals that animate each of us today.

Today, we have a truly extraordinary road map, and I have never been more optimistic about Apple’s future. That is why I have decided that now is the right time for me to transition to a new role of executive chairman. And I am thrilled to announce that John Ternus will be our new CEO.

Throughout the many years I’ve worked with him, and our many conversations about his becoming Apple’s next CEO, John’s passion and love for Apple shine through. He is a visionary in his own right, a man of remarkable integrity, and the kind of person we can all be proud to follow. John is the right leader to help us innovate into the future, to help us break new ground on big ideas and bold new pathways, and to ensure that the values that have made us so successful and so admired for the past 50 years will remain the core of our identity and our culture in the decades to come.

For my part, I will remain CEO through the summer and work very closely with John as we transition roles. In my new role as executive chairman, I plan to support John and Apple in a number of key areas and to be available to offer my experience whenever and wherever it is needed.

I want to offer my profound gratitude to the best executive team on the planet for your friendship and your brilliance over the years. And I want all of you, every member of the Apple team, to know how much it has meant to me to work with you. You are the most remarkable people in the world, and it’s because of you that Apple is such a special place. What we built, we built together, and you are why I am incredibly optimistic about the future. I know you will join me in congratulating John as we write this next chapter of Apple’s story.

We’ll be hosting a town hall tomorrow in the Steve Jobs Theater at 9 a.m. to talk about this and more. I’m looking forward to it.

With gratitude,

Tim



Also Read: Who is John Ternus, Apple's new CEO?

Ternus’ own note to employees leans into that. There’s no grand reset here, just a quiet emphasis on execution. He calls it a privilege to have led hardware engineering, signals that he plans to stay “very hands-on” as CEO, and quickly moves to outline leadership changes within the hardware team.

And this is Ternus’ memo:

Team,

As you’ve by now heard, Tim has announced that he will be transitioning into the executive chairman role, and in September, I will become Apple’s new CEO. It has been such a privilege to lead the hardware engineering team, to be part of such remarkable work, and to see all of you in action, determined as ever to do everything we can for our users. I look forward to working with you very closely in my new role. Needless to say, I still plan to be very hands-on.

As part of my transition to CEO, starting today, I will be stepping away from my role as head of hardware engineering. And I’m proud to announce that Tom Marieb will become the new leader of the organization. In that role, Tom’s responsibility will be to deliver on executing a truly amazing road map. He will report to Johny Srouji, who is such a talented leader and is taking on an expanded role of Chief Hardware Officer, which will allow us to work even more closely together with the hardware technologies team.

As those of you who have worked with him know, Tom is an amazing leader and an incredible mentor to so many people. Tom cares so much about the user experience, and he has been relentlessly focused on making sure we’re delivering at the standards to which we are always aspiring. I very much look forward to our continued work together.

I will have more to say when I see you in person. For now, let me simply say thank you for everything you’ve done — and for everything I know you will do. We have such important work ahead of us, and I can’t imagine a more capable team.

JT

Tom Marieb will take over the hardware engineering group, reporting to Johny Srouji, who steps into an expanded role as Chief Hardware Officer. The reshuffle feels characteristically Apple as internal, measured, and focused on keeping the product engine running without interruption.

What stands out across both memos is how little is framed as changing. Cook talks about an “extraordinary road map” ahead; Ternus talks about “important work” still to be done. Neither leans into legacy as much as momentum.

Which brings it back to that “Good morning.”

At WWDC, it’s always been more than just an opening line. It sets the tone for what Apple wants to say about itself that year. This time, it may also double as a quiet sign-off from one of the most consequential CEOs in the company’s history.

Come September, the voice on that stage will change. The script, if these memos are anything to go by, largely won’t.