Apple CEO John Ternus is taking a more hands-on role in its design work, with product design becoming a “major priority,” according to reporting summarized by Mark Gurman. Gurman says Ternus, who became CEO last month, has immersed himself in both Apple’s industrial design and human interface teams.
The outlets also describe how often Ternus interacts with the design studio, saying he visits several times a week and sometimes multiple times in a day. By comparison, the reporting contrasts this with former CEO Tim Cook’s pattern of visiting the studio about once a month, at most. Both sources characterize Ternus as having a strong engineering background, with design work closely tied to hardware and interface decisions.
Context-wise, the reporting notes that Apple has experienced gaps in dedicated design leadership since Jony Ive left in 2019 and that other executives have handled design responsibilities intermittently. The accounts also say Ternus is focusing more on engineering and design while leaving finances to chief financial officer Kevan Parekh and supply chain to operations chief Sabih Khan.
