Apple is reportedly accelerating its confidential plans for CEO succession, preparing for the potential departure of Tim Cook, who might step down as early as next year. This comes from a recent report shedding light on the internal strategy discussions underway.

Tim Cook, who celebrated his 65th birthday this month, has been at the helm of Apple since 2011, succeeding the late Steve Jobs. As Cook contemplates the conclusion of his influential 14-year leadership, Apple’s board members and top executives have intensified their efforts to ensure a smooth transition, as detailed by the Financial Times.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the preparations have reached a stage where an official announcement could be made early next year. John Ternus, the head of hardware engineering, has emerged as the front-runner for the CEO role.

Ternus, 50, has been with Apple since 2001, starting in the product design team and steadily advancing through the ranks of the hardware division. His commitment and expertise led to his promotion to vice president in 2013, and he assumed leadership of hardware engineering a few years later. By 2021, he had joined Apple’s executive team, further solidifying his standing within the company.

He eventually became a vice president in 2013, taking charge of hardware engineering several years later. In 2021, he joined the company’s executive team.

Ternus, a former champion swimmer, reigns over a portfolio that includes the iPhone, iPad, Mac and AirPods.

He also played a central role in the high-stakes shift from Intel processors to the company’s in-house Apple silicon chips.

In recent years, Ternus has also become a familiar presence at major launch events.

Ternus has been described as an executive who is “charismatic and well-regarded by Apple loyalists” and who is trusted by Cook, who has granted Ternus more responsibilities, according to Bloomberg News.

While Ternus is viewed by many as the favorite, no decision has been made, according to the FT.

If Ternus does ascend to the top role, he will have significant shoes to fill.

Under Cook, Apple’s market capitalization exploded tenfold — from about $350 billion in 2011 to $4 trillion today.

The company became the first publicly traded US firm to be valued at $1 trillion in 2018, and it crossed the $2 trillion mark just two years later.

While Jobs was considered a visionary who focused on innovation and design, Cook, who was his operations chief, proved to be a master of efficiency and supply chain operations — allowing Apple to scale its global empire and maintain its dominance.

Cook has also been credited for the successful rollout of accessory products such as Apple Watch in 2015 and AirPods in 2016.

He also engineered the company’s massive and highly profitable pivot to services, such as the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud and the Apple TV+ streaming service.

The services division grew from just under $3 billion in fiscal 2011 to more than $96 billion in 2024, providing a steady revenue stream to offset slowing iPhone growth.

Cook himself has confirmed the existence of robust succession plans, though he has remained tight-lipped on timing.

“We’re a company that believes in working on succession plans, so we have very detailed succession plans,” Cook told singer Dua Lipa on a podcast in November 2023.

“Because something unpredictable can always happen.”

He has also made his preference clear for a successor from within the company’s ranks.

“I really want the person to come from within Apple, the next CEO,” Cook stated in the same interview.

“So that’s my role: That there’s several for the board to pick from.”

Despite the intensified planning, Cook has signaled he is not in a rush to leave.

“I love it,” he said when asked to reflect on more than a quarter century at the Cupertino-based company.

“I can’t envision my life without being there so I’ll be there a while,” he told Lipa.

While Apple’s stock is trading near an all-time high, its 12% rise this year has lagged behind tech rivals like Microsoft and Nvidia, whose valuations have been supercharged by Wall Street’s frenzy over artificial intelligence.

The Post has sought comment from Apple.