Apple's Five-Year Employee Plaques Now Bear New CEO John Ternus's Name; Cook to Step Down on Sept. 1, 2026
Apple employees who recently completed five years of service received commemorative plaques signed by incoming CEO John Ternus, not current CEO Tim Cook. Cook will step down on September 1, 2026, becoming executive chairman, with Ternus taking over as CEO. Ternus will make his first public appearance as CEO at Apple's fall product event on September 10, 2026.
Several netizens have recently shared on social media the commemorative plaques they received upon completing five years of employment at Apple. The signature beneath the plaque's inscription has been changed to Apple's incoming CEO John Ternus, rather than current CEO Tim Cook. Although Cook has not yet formally stepped down, Apple has begun switching the signature on employee-related commemorative materials ahead of the leadership transition.
According to Apple's previously announced plan, Cook will step down as CEO on September 1, 2026, and will assume the role of executive chairman. John Ternus, currently senior vice president of hardware engineering, will officially take over as CEO. At Apple's fall new product launch event on September 10, 2026, Ternus will make his first public appearance as CEO. Ternus has long been involved in the development of core products such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and has appeared in several Apple events in recent years to introduce hardware products.