---
title: "John Ternus prioritises design with Steve Jobs-like involvement as CEO"
description: "Bloomberg reports Ternus visits Apple's design studio multiple times a week, a sharp contrast to Tim Cook's oversight."
url: https://mactoreality.com/john-ternus-prioritizes-design-with-steve-jobs-like-involvement-as-ceo
published: 2026-10-04T19:14:07Z
updated: 2026-10-04T19:14:07Z
author: "Mac to Reality Newsdesk"
category: News
tags: ["Business & leadership"]
publisher: Mac to Reality
ai_assisted: true
apple_heat_impact: 2
---

# John Ternus prioritises design with Steve Jobs-like involvement as CEO

*Bloomberg reports Ternus visits Apple's design studio multiple times a week, a sharp contrast to Tim Cook's oversight.*

**Key points**

- John Ternus is reportedly working closely with Apple's design teams, visiting the studio several times a week.
- Apple's industrial design and human interface teams now report directly to Ternus, and the company is not hiring a chief design officer.
- The hands-on approach contrasts with Tim Cook's more distant oversight and Jeff Williams' previous role overseeing design.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple CEO John Ternus is taking a hands-on approach to product design, reminiscent of Steve Jobs. According to [AppleInsider](https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/10/04/design-is-a-jobsian-level-focus-for-john-ternus?utm_source=rss) and [9to5Mac](https://9to5mac.com/2026/10/04/john-ternus-is-taking-a-more-hands-on-role-in-apples-design-teams-as-ceo-report/), Ternus works in Apple’s design studio several times a week, sometimes multiple times a day. That’s a stark contrast to Tim Cook, who visited the studio roughly once a month during his tenure.

Apple’s industrial design and human interface teams now report directly to Ternus, and the company has no plans to hire an external chief design officer. The current design leads are Molly Anderson, VP of Industrial Design, and Steve Lemay, who leads human interface. The shift follows the retirement of former COO Jeff Williams in 2025, who oversaw design despite lacking a design background himself.

Ternus is reportedly able to focus on design because CFO Kevan Parekh handles financial strategy and COO Sabih Khan handles the supply chain. Meanwhile, Apple has lost several design veterans to rivals: former software design chief Alan Dye joined Meta, while former industrial design chief Evans Hankey is now at OpenAI through Jony Ive’s io.

## Sources

- [AppleInsider: Design is a Jobsian-level focus for John Ternus](https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/10/04/design-is-a-jobsian-level-focus-for-john-ternus?utm_source=rss)
- [9to5Mac: John Ternus is taking a more ‘hands-on’ role in Apple’s design teams as CEO: report](https://9to5mac.com/2026/10/04/john-ternus-is-taking-a-more-hands-on-role-in-apples-design-teams-as-ceo-report/)

*This report was written by the Mac to Reality newsdesk with AI assistance from the sources listed above, under the editorial policy at https://mactoreality.com/editorial-policy.*