Tim Cook sent a farewell message to employees on the last day of his tenure as Apple CEO, a position he had held since 2011. Stating that he loved Apple and the team behind it, Cook thanked employees for the care they had shown him and the effort they put in every day. Saying that his success belonged not to him but to the team, Cook said he had worked with the most extraordinary people he had ever encountered at Apple.
Cook emphasized that Apple’s true strength came from its corporate culture, which was not reflected in annual reports. He said that the company’s employees believed the products they created mattered and that they had both the opportunity and the responsibility to leave the world better than they found it. In his view, Apple employees brought out the best in one another, supported one another and collectively created the impact Steve Jobs described as “putting a dent in the universe.”
Stating that he was not leaving Apple but stepping down from the CEO role he had carried out with great passion, Cook said he would miss the job and leading the employees. Saying he felt greatly relieved to hand the role over to John Ternus, Cook noted that Ternus had a very strong understanding of how to develop products that change the world and that he was excited about Ternus’s leadership.
Cook asked employees to continue taking pride in being part of Apple and to bring their very best to their work. Saying that there was no limit to the positive impact they could create if they worked with care for one another and the people they served, Cook said he looked forward to meeting employees at Apple Park and in different parts of the world in his new role. John Ternus will be Apple’s new CEO.
Why it matters
This change of roles marks the end of an era in Apple’s leadership that has continued since 2011 and the transfer of corporate responsibility to John Ternus. The fact that Cook will not leave the company entirely but will take on a new role ensures continuity in management while also raising questions about the division of authority between the former and new CEOs. The emphasis in the farewell message on corporate culture, teamwork and the social impact of products rather than financial results outlines the management approach expected to be preserved during the transition. For employees, the change is linked to how the leadership style and decision-making processes will take shape; for those who use Apple’s products, it is linked to how Ternus will bring his approach to product development into management. The scope of Cook’s new role and how the corporate culture will be maintained during the Ternus era have yet to be clarified.
Background
Apple is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 11 reports mentioning the name in the past 90 days; the latest is dated August 31, 2026.