From engineer to Apple CEO: John Ternus’s career before he joined Apple

John Ternus joined Apple in 2001, but his work before entering the company provides an early look at the engineering background he brought to one of the world’s biggest technology companies.

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Before joining Apple, Ternus’s career began outside the company with a role focused on an emerging area of technology. His engineering training and hands-on technical work preceded a move that would eventually define his professional career. 

Ternus started his career in virtual reality

Ternus began his professional career as a mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems. His work there involved designing virtual reality headsets, giving him early experience in hardware development before he moved to Apple.

The role came after Ternus graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. During his time at Penn, he was also a member of the men's swimming team.

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His senior project at the university also had a practical focus. Ternus developed a mechanical feeding arm that could be operated through head movements by people with quadriplegia.

From Virtual Research Systems to Apple

Ternus' time at Virtual Research Systems preceded his move to Apple in 2001. He joined Apple's Product Design team that year, beginning a career that would eventually take him through increasingly senior hardware roles.

His first project at Apple was the Apple Cinema Display. From there, his responsibilities expanded across the company's hardware organisation. In 2013, he became vice president of Hardware Engineering under Dan Riccio, overseeing the development of the AirPods, Mac and iPad product lines.

The engineering background behind his Apple career

Ternus' pre-Apple experience was relatively brief compared with his subsequent career at the company. However, designing virtual reality hardware gave him experience that preceded more than two decades of work on Apple's products.

His path from mechanical engineer at Virtual Research Systems to Apple's product design team eventually led to senior hardware leadership. In 2020, he took charge of iPhone hardware, became senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2021 and later assumed responsibility for Apple Watch hardware.