John Ternus is the center of speculation as the leading internal candidate to succeed Tim Cook as Apple CEO. Ternus, currently Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, is seen as the most likely choice for control of the company. His path to Apple was relatively direct, starting at the University of Pennsylvania in 1997 where he earned a Mechanical Engineering degree. He joined Apple in 2001, initially working on the Apple Cinema Display.

His career ascended steadily; by 2013 he became VP of Hardware Engineering, managing the Mac and iPad teams. His influence extended to the iPhone 12 and AirPods, and crucially, he championed adding LiDAR to Pro iPhones, arguing it aligned with Apple's premium user base. As SVP since 2021, he leads all hardware engineering, reporting directly to Cook.

His public profile has risen significantly in this role, where he emphasizes Apple-like integration of hardware and software, like Center Stage on the iPad Pro. The speculation centers on his deep technical expertise and leadership within Apple's hardware ecosystem as the company plans for Cook's eventual departure.