Apple today announced that its current hardware engineering SVP Dan Riccio is transitioning to a new role to focus on an unspecified project, while John Ternus will take over as Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering.
Apple CEO Tim Cook made a statement on the move:
“Every innovation Dan has helped Apple bring to life has made us a better and more innovative company, and we’re thrilled that he’ll continue to be part of the team,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “John’s deep expertise and wide breadth of experience make him a bold and visionary leader of our Hardware Engineering teams. I want to congratulate them both on these exciting new steps, and I’m looking forward to many more innovations they’ll help bring to the world.”
Apple didn’t specify which new project Riccio will be working on, but possibilities could include augmented reality and virtual reality headsets, as well as the much-anticipated Apple Car project. It should be noted though that the Apple Car project was recently taken over by Apple AI chief John Giannandrea.
Riccio has been with the company since 1998. Riccio’s new “vice president of engineering title is a bit of a step-down, so Riccio could be looking to take a step back from things at Apple.
In a statement, Riccio said that working at Apple has been “the opportunity of a lifetime” and that it is now the right time for a change.
“Working at Apple has been the opportunity of a lifetime, spent making the world’s best products with the most talented people you could imagine,” said Riccio. “After 23 years of leading our Product Design or Hardware Engineering teams — culminating with our biggest and most ambitious product year ever — it’s the right time for a change. Next up, I’m looking forward to doing what I love most — focusing all my time and energy at Apple on creating something new and wonderful that I couldn’t be more excited about.”
Riccio’s replacement, John Ternus, joined Apple as part of the Product Design team in 2001, and in 2013 stepped up to a role as vice president of Hardware Engineering, overseeing the launch of the first-generation AirPods, every iPad, the iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 Pro.