‘This is not goodbye’: Tim Cook reflects on 15 years at Apple in farewell letter

Tim Cook will step down as chief executive of Apple after a 15-year run, transitioning to the role of executive chairman in September. He will be succeeded by John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.

In a note to the Apple community, Cook reflected on his time at the company, the daily interactions with users that shaped his leadership, and why he believes Ternus is the right successor.

Here’s what he said in the community letter

Cook said he has “started just about every morning the same way” for the past 15 years—by reading e-mails from Apple users across the world. “You share little pieces of your lives with me and tell me things you want me to know about how Apple has touched you,” he said.

He described how users wrote about “the moment your mom was saved by her Apple Watch” and “the perfect selfie you captured at the summit of a mountain that seemed impossible to climb”. He added that users also “give me a hard time because something you care about isn’t working like it should”.

Cook said that in those e-mails, “I feel the beating heart of our shared humanity,” adding that they created “a sense of deepening obligation to work harder and push further”. He called the experience deeply humbling, saying, “I feel a gratitude that I cannot put into words… that I somehow got to be the person on the other end of those emails.”

Announcing his transition, Cook said, “Today we announced that I’m taking the next step in my journey at Apple.” He added that he will be “leaving the CEO job behind in September and becoming Apple’s executive chairman.”

On his successor, Cook said, “A new person will be stepping into what I know in my heart is the best job in the world.” Referring to Ternus, he said, “He is a brilliant engineer and thinker who has spent the past 25 years building the Apple products our users love so much.”

Cook emphasised Ternus’s leadership qualities, saying he is “obsessed with every detail” and focussed on making products “better, bolder, more beautiful, and more meaningful.” He added, “He is the perfect person for the job.”

He further noted that Ternus cares about the company and has “the heart and character to lead with extraordinary integrity.” Cook said he expects the company to reach “incredible heights” under Ternus’s leadership.

Calling the transition “not goodbye,” Cook said he wanted to thank users personally. “Not on behalf of the company… but simply on behalf of me. Tim,” he wrote.

Reflecting on his journey, he said he was “a person who grew up in a rural place in a different time” and had the opportunity to lead “the greatest company in the world”.

Cook concluded by thanking users for their trust and engagement. “Every day we get up and think about what we can do to make your life a little bit better,” he said. “And every day, you’ve made mine the best I could have asked for.”