Tim Cook‘s sixty fifth birthday is subsequent week, on Nov. 1. And with the Apple CEO’s special occasion virtually right here, talks have been rising as to who may very well be his successor ought to he select to retire. Prepare dinner has made no official public point out of stepping down but, however in accordance with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the tech big is working behind the scenes to make sure a seamless transition when the time comes.

Prepare dinner changed Steve Jobs in 2011, and after a interval of uncertainty, Prepare dinner ushered Apple into its most worthwhile period. Inventory-watching web site Stocktwits studies that the company’s stock has increased by round 1,800% since Prepare dinner took over main the corporate.

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Jobs could have launched units just like the iPhone into on a regular basis use that modified how we work together with expertise, however Prepare dinner expanded on the Apple expertise. Beneath his steering, the corporate constructed upon Apple’s smartphone by introducing subscription companies and extra cell merchandise, together with earbuds and wearables.

He launched Apple Pay, Beats headphones grew to become a part of the corporate’s ecosystem, the Apple Watch launched 10 years in the past, and Apple even entered the leisure enterprise, producing authentic Oscar-winning motion pictures and Emmy-winning TV reveals by Apple TV Plus.

Learn extra: Best iPhone in 2025: Here’s Which Apple Phone You Should Buy

We must always reiterate that the notion of Prepare dinner stepping down is pure hypothesis at this level. We do not know what Apple’s CEO is at present planning or what his ideas about retirement could also be. That mentioned, there are a handful of contenders who’ve reportedly been a part of the succession dialog. 

Potential Apple CEO contenders

Apple possible has “a stable bench of successors” that the corporate’s board has been creating, says Bryan Ma, VP of Gadgets Analysis at IDC.

“However the anxiousness will get amplified when there is not clear visibility for such a precious and iconic firm,” Ma says. “Compounding the problem is the truth that the bar has been set by massive rock stars like Steve Jobs and Tim Prepare dinner. The subsequent technology of leaders have very massive footwear to fill.”

John Ternus, Apple’s present vp of {Hardware} Engineering, was prime of Gurman’s checklist. Ternus has been with the tech big for greater than 20 years, so he has the information and expertise for a chief government improve. There can be worth in having an engineer behind the wheel. 

Ternus appeared through the September Apple occasion to introduce the iPhone Air. At 50, he is the identical age Prepare dinner was when he took over as Apple CEO.

Different potential contenders are additionally being thought of, together with Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vp of software program engineering; Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vp of worldwide advertising; and Jeff Williams, the corporate’s former chief working officer, in accordance with a report by Apple Insider. On Oct. 10, Bloomberg reported that Federighi additionally will quickly be overseeing the Apple Watch working system watchOS, whereas Ternus can be overseeing Apple Watch {hardware} engineering as soon as Williams departs on the finish of the 12 months.

Federighi has been with Apple for a very long time and has the general public talking expertise — ceaselessly talking throughout Apple Events — that might be important if he changed Prepare dinner as CEO. Contemplating his present function, Joswiak has a extra advertising perspective and a broader overview of the corporate and is probably not as hands-on with the tech as Ternus and Federighi. And in accordance with Gurman, Williams was considered as a shoo-in to be Prepare dinner’s substitute till his function as COO was introduced to be ending. (He is now Apple’s senior vp of design, watch and well being.) Prepare dinner held the place of chief working officer earlier than he changed Jobs as CEO in 2011. Sabih Khan can be entering into that COO function, which additionally places his identify within the working.

When Prepare dinner steps down, Apple will undoubtedly have a pool of certified expertise to select from to take up the management mantle. Who precisely will take the mantle stays to be seen.

Apple did not instantly reply to a request for remark.