CUPERTINO, Calif. — John Ternus officially took over as Apple's chief executive on Sept. 1, ending Tim Cook's 15-year tenure atop the world's most valuable technology company, and now faces an immediate test of his leadership just days into the job as Apple prepares to unveil its latest iPhone lineup, including the company's first foldable device.

Ternus, 50, joined Apple's product design team in 2001 and spent the past 25 years working almost exclusively in hardware engineering, rising to vice president of hardware engineering in 2013 before being promoted to senior vice president in 2021, the role from which he now moves into the CEO position. He was formally named to Apple's board of directors effective Sept. 1, the same day the leadership transition took effect.

Cook, who succeeded Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011, will remain with the company as executive chairman following the transition. Under his leadership, Apple's market value grew from roughly $350 billion to as much as $4.6 trillion, driven largely by the enduring commercial success of the iPhone. Apple's board announced the succession plan in April, with non-executive chairman Arthur Levinson praising Cook's tenure while expressing confidence in his successor.

"Tim's unprecedented and outstanding leadership has transformed Apple into the world's best company," Levinson said at the time. "We believe John is the best possible leader to succeed Tim and as he transitions to CEO we know his love of Apple, his leadership, deep technical knowledge, and relentless focus on creating great products will help lead Apple to an extraordinary future."

Ternus inherits the company at what analysts describe as a genuinely........

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