As Tim Cook prepares to step down as CEO of Apple next year, the company is reportedly speeding things up as they prepare plans for the succession to happen as smoothly as possible. After leading the tech brand for 14 years, Cook’s retirement will reportedly be announced by Apple soon. However, the planning for the transition does not merely entail looking for the right candidate for the job.
The succession plan is also inclusive of preparations to handle year-end sales, expected to be strong in 2025, as well as important events in the days to come. Since Jobs’s resignation and unfortunate demise immediately after in 2011, Tim Cook has been a pivotal figure at the executive level of Apple. It goes without saying that Cook will require a responsible and innovative leader in his stead, competent enough to face every challenge Apple finds in its way.
Apple prepares for CEO transition as Tim Cook departs next year
Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to step down next year, and the company has been intensifying plans for succession since. It must be noted that this change is in no way related to the current performance of the company.
According to Financial Times (behind paywall), “People close to Apple say the long-planned transition is not related to the company’s current performance, ahead of what is expected to be a blockbuster end-of-year sales period for the iPhone.”
Under Cook’s leadership, Apple’s market capitalization has gone up from around $350 billion in 2011 to $4 trillion in 2025. When it comes to their current market performance, the company is gradually moving upwards to an all-time high after last month’s performance.
However, the rise of the tech giant’s stock-price to about 12 per cent in 2025 is still behind Alphabet, Nvidia and Microsoft, who continue to perform consistently well as enthusiasm surrounding AI technology increases day by day.
When it comes to the time period for finalising the candidate for the position, there is much doubt that Apple will be able to bring in the successor by January 2026. The news report stated, “The company is unlikely to introduce a new CEO before its earnings report in late January, which covers the crucial holiday quarter. An early-year announcement would allow the next leadership team time to settle before Apple’s major annual events.” The executives are expected to prepare well in advance for the 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference in the month of June and the iPhone launch event three months later.
Who could be the next Apple CEO after Tim Cook?
There has been significant buss surrounding the possible names among whom Apple could select Tim Cook’s successor. The most recurring among them has been John Ternus. The Vice President of hardware engineering has made some public appearances in the past. At the same time, his contributions have been crucial to the development of every new device conceived by the tech giant.
The appointment of John Ternus would enable Apple to have an executive figure with a background in hardware engineering in charge of the manufacturing division. This will be crucial during a time when the company faces challenges to step into new product categories while also making innovations in AI to keep up with their rival brands in Silicon Valley.
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