Who Will Succeed Tim Cook as Apple’s Next CEO?

Without a doubt, Apple is nearing a pivotal shift in its leadership. A significant portion of its top management is now approaching retirement age, signaling the potential introduction of new leaders in key roles by the end of this decade.

Tim Cook and Beyond

In his Sunday newsletter, Mark Gurman reignited discussions about the succession of 64-year-old Tim Cook, a topic that often dominates headlines. However, the scope of this transition extends beyond him alone: nearly all of Apple’s executive team are over 59 years old.

This group includes Katherine Adams (61 years old) SVP and General Counsel, Eddy Cue (60 years old) who oversees Services, John Giannandrea (60 years old) – Machine Learning & AI, Greg Joswiak (61 years old) in charge of Worldwide Marketing, Deirdre O’Brien (59 years old), the retail and people wonderwoman, Johny Srouji (61 years old) at the helm of Hardware Technologies and Sabih Khan (59 years old) who was recently appointed COO, taking over from Jeff Williams (62 years old), who continues to manage Design, Watch & Health.

However, there are still younger executives like John Ternus (50 years old), who took over as head of Hardware Engineering in 2021, and Kevan Parekh (53 years old), named CFO in 2024. Then there’s Craig Federighi (56 years old) for Software Engineering.

An Inevitable but Controlled Transition

While some analysts like to categorize the eras of tech giants—starting from the visionary founder (Steve Jobs) to a financial manager (like Tim Cook)—Apple’s future seems to be characterized more by continuity than change.

The person who succeeds Tim Cook will likely be selected for their ability to continue a pragmatic, numbers-oriented, and profitability-focused strategy, rather than making dramatic changes. Similarly, future vice presidents will need to fit this profile, enhancing the company’s stability rather than transforming it drastically.