Cupertino: Apple announced yesterday the appointment of long-time hardware executive John Turnus as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This internal selection takes over from Tim Cook at a time when the company faces global challenges from artificial intelligence (AI), an area where Apple is seen as lagging behind competitors.
According to Thai News Agency, Apple stated in a press release that Mr. Cook, a supply chain expert who increased Apple's market value to approximately 123 trillion baht (US$3.6 trillion) over his 15 years at the helm, will remain as Executive Chairman when Mr. Turnus officially takes office on September 1st.
Mr. Turnus joined Apple in 2001 and played a key role in revitalizing the Mac product line, successfully capturing market share from personal computers. Although he did not appear in public frequently, he was instrumental in the development of core Apple products such as the iPad and AirPods.
The change occurred at a critical time for the company, after Apple lost its position as the world's most valuable company to Nvidia, an artificial intelligence chip manufacturer. This was due to investor concerns about a lack of AI innovation that could transform how people work and create. Turnus's biggest challenge was integrating AI into the iPhone, one of the most successful consumer products in history.
Mr. Turnus took over at the age of 50, the same age as Mr. Cook when he succeeded co-founder Steve Jobs. In recent years, Apple has begun to promote Mr. Turnus's image through his media coverage of new products, including the launch of the iPhone Air last September, which was the biggest redesign in almost a decade.
In addition, Mr. Turnus also has to contend with competition from rivals like Meta Platforms, where augmented reality (AR) glasses are unexpectedly gaining popularity due to their more affordable price compared to Apple's Vision Pro, which costs over 119,000 baht (US$3,499). Meanwhile, Nvidia has also announced plans to develop its own personal computers and processors for laptops.