Tim Cook steps down as Apple CEO after 15-year run: A look at his journey with tech giant

After spending 15 years at the helm of one of the world' most renowned companies, Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down and passing over the baton to John Ternus.

This change will take effect from September 1 2026. John Ternus, currently Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, will take over as chief executive.

Back in 2011, when Cook was appointed the CEO, he was faced with herculean task of making sure the company retains its hard-fought standing it had achieved under the visionary leadership of founder and CEO Steve Jobs.

Though he did not adopt Jobs' 'one more thing' gadget reveals style, he did succeed in guiding the company to a stunning valuation of some $4 trillion based on its share price.

“This is not goodbye,” Cook said in a letter on Apple’s website. But, he added, it is a “moment of transition.”

The Apple Watch

In the aftermath of Steve Jobs' death, Cook was under pressure to come up with the next big thing. In 2015, the invention of the Apple Watch cemented Cook's position as CEO. The Apple Watch went on to become the top-selling smartwatch in the world.

He also introduced the world to Airpods, wireless earbuds, which are not technology advanced but have come to become the new fad in town.

Cook also led a shift to Apple making custom chips, ending 20 years of dependence on outside suppliers and gaining more control of its hardware.

Selling digital content and services

Cook's idea to sell to sell digital content and services, from streaming music and television to cloud data storage and apps for iPhones turned into a major profitable feat for Apple.

By 2024, Apple's services segment accounted for nearly a quarter of its revenue.

According to AFP, central to that strategy is the App Store, which Apple made the sole gateway to software on its devices, taking a cut of transactions -- and thereby drawing accusations of monopoly abuse, regulatory scrutiny in Europe and court orders in the United States to open up its platform.

Reliance on China

Until Donald Trump took over as the US President, Cook relied on China for key components supply chain. That all came to pass, when Trump imposed tariffs on China.

Apple has since worked to diversify production to India, Vietnam and even the United States.

Launching the iPhone

Cook has been aiding the country since well before he took over from Jobs. At that time, Apple had a market valuation of $350 billion.

While Jobs launched the iPhone in 2007, it was then chief operating officer Cook who oversaw the supply chain that met demand while minimizing costs.

Most of the money Apple makes comes from iPhone sales.