Tim Cook, who succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011 and guided Apple into being a multi-trillion dollar corporation, is very close to reaching his 64th birthday, which is the traditional retirement age. That gives rise to conjecture over his potential successor as CEO. Numerous names have surfaced, but according to Bloomberg's most recent story, longtime loyalist John Ternus may be the front-runner.

But why is John Ternus being considered, and who is he? At Apple, Ternus presently holds the position of Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering and is directly responsible to Tim Cook. With more than 23 years of experience at Apple, Ternus has significantly influenced the design of some of the brand's most recognizable products, such as the iPad, iPhone, and AirPods. His leadership throughout the Mac's transition to Apple Silicon serves as another evidence of his qualifications.

Ternus was employed at Virtual Research Systems as a mechanical engineer prior to his time at Apple. His mechanical engineering bachelor's degree is from the University of Pennsylvania.

But Williams's age of sixty-one years may be a liability in the eyes of Apple's board of directors, who are searching for a leader who can guide the firm for ten years or more, someone along the lines of Jobs and Cook.

Reports state that Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering; Dan Riccio, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering; Deirdre O'Brien, Senior Vice President of Retail; and Phil Schiller, Apple Fellow, are among the other possible contenders. They are viewed as less probable contenders for the top spot, though.

The focus is still on Ternus and Williams as Apple considers its next generation of executives, with Ternus appearing to be the front-runner to carry on Tim Cook's legacy. Even for a corporation as powerful as Apple, changing CEOs is never easy, but with seasoned executives like Ternus on board, the tech behemoth appears ready for a seamless transfer of leadership.