Generational Change in Apple Leadership; Pegatron's Tung Tsu-hsien Expresses Admiration and Blessings
Regarding Apple CEO Tim Cook's departure in September and succession by John Ternus, Pegatron Chairman Tung Tsu-hsien praised Cook's 15-year performance and sent blessings. He also shared optimistic views on AI's future and Taiwan's talent market.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 17:18
- 🔍 Collected: April 22, 2026 at 17:32 (13 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 08:55 (15h 23m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter Wu Chia-hao, Taipei, 22nd) Apple's current CEO, Tim Cook, will step down in September, handing over the reins to John Ternus, the current Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering. Tung Tsu-hsien, Chairman of Pegatron, an Apple contract manufacturer, said today that Cook's performance during his 15-year tenure has been outstanding, leading Apple's market value to grow more than tenfold. Besides his admiration, he also gave his blessings to Apple's push for a generational change in leadership.
In the afternoon, Tung Tsu-hsien attended the "2026 Multinational Enterprise Overseas Investment Forum" in his capacity as Chairman of the Taiwan Monte Jade Science and Technology Association. He accepted media interviews and expressed his views on the high-level personnel changes of major client Apple, the prospects of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, and his observations on the supply chain under geopolitical influences.
He said that Cook has served as Apple's CEO for about 15 years since 2011. During this period, not only has Apple's market value soared, but it has also consistently remained among the top three global tech leaders, and his performance is obvious to all.
The outside world is paying attention to the fact that Ternus's technical background differs from Cook's style, which is adept at supply chain management. Tung Tsu-hsien believes that a company with influence and creativity that can push for a generational change in leadership exactly demonstrates the rigor of its management system. He stated bluntly that there is no need to "point fingers" at the personnel changes of global leading manufacturers; one should maintain politeness and offer blessings.
Tung Tsu-hsien used Apple founder Steve Jobs as an example, noting that he didn't even finish his freshman year of college. However, outstanding leaders have already undergone numerous tests when they are promoted to the top level. There is no need to be overly obsessed with whether they come from a management or technical background. He believes the new leader will have his own new achievements.
Regarding recent market concerns about whether there is a risk of a bubble in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, Tung Tsu-hsien compared it to the internet bubble of 2000. He believes that in times of drastic industry changes, finding the positioning of business models will present many challenges, and "not everyone who participates will successfully survive." However, AI can indeed improve productivity and efficiency.
Tung Tsu-hsien said bluntly, "The impact of AI in the future will be no less than that of the internet." In the future, AI will move from the cloud to edge devices, even being built into mobile phones, becoming an indispensable part of life. "When one day you are used to it and have to leave it, you will find that you don't know how the world works."
The market is paying attention to Tesla seeking semiconductor engineers in Taiwan for its AI chip campus named Terafab. Tung Tsu-hsien said that this will inevitably cause "turmoil" in industry competition and talent mobility, but it also reflects the huge market demand. Excellent talent with value will consequently receive better compensation, leading to the phenomenon of "pricing at will."
"Talent mobility is not a question of whether one is happy to see it, but something that will happen naturally," Tung Tsu-hsien believes. Although talent mobility will push up costs, if subsequent demand is strong, the market will naturally absorb these costs.
Facing geopolitical risks such as the war in the Middle East and rising raw material prices, Tung Tsu-hsien stated that as long as Taiwan maintains its role as a core partner in the global industry, its core competitiveness will not be affected. (Editor: Chang Liang-chih) 1150422
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(CNA Reporter Wu Chia-hao, Taipei, 22nd) Apple's current CEO, Tim Cook, will step down in September, handing over the reins to John Ternus, the current Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering. Tung Tsu-hsien, Chairman of Pegatron, an Apple contract manufacturer, said today that Cook's performance during his 15-year tenure has been outstanding, leading Apple's market value to grow more than tenfold. Besides his admiration, he also gave his blessings to Apple's push for a generational change in leadership.
In the afternoon, Tung Tsu-hsien attended the "2026 Multinational Enterprise Overseas Investment Forum" in his capacity as Chairman of the Taiwan Monte Jade Science and Technology Association. He accepted media interviews and expressed his views on the high-level personnel changes of major client Apple, the prospects of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, and his observations on the supply chain under geopolitical influences.
He said that Cook has served as Apple's CEO for about 15 years since 2011. During this period, not only has Apple's market value soared, but it has also consistently remained among the top three global tech leaders, and his performance is obvious to all.
The outside world is paying attention to the fact that Ternus's technical background differs from Cook's style, which is adept at supply chain management. Tung Tsu-hsien believes that a company with influence and creativity that can push for a generational change in leadership exactly demonstrates the rigor of its management system. He stated bluntly that there is no need to "point fingers" at the personnel changes of global leading manufacturers; one should maintain politeness and offer blessings.
Tung Tsu-hsien used Apple founder Steve Jobs as an example, noting that he didn't even finish his freshman year of college. However, outstanding leaders have already undergone numerous tests when they are promoted to the top level. There is no need to be overly obsessed with whether they come from a management or technical background. He believes the new leader will have his own new achievements.
Regarding recent market concerns about whether there is a risk of a bubble in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, Tung Tsu-hsien compared it to the internet bubble of 2000. He believes that in times of drastic industry changes, finding the positioning of business models will present many challenges, and "not everyone who participates will successfully survive." However, AI can indeed improve productivity and efficiency.
Tung Tsu-hsien said bluntly, "The impact of AI in the future will be no less than that of the internet." In the future, AI will move from the cloud to edge devices, even being built into mobile phones, becoming an indispensable part of life. "When one day you are used to it and have to leave it, you will find that you don't know how the world works."
The market is paying attention to Tesla seeking semiconductor engineers in Taiwan for its AI chip campus named Terafab. Tung Tsu-hsien said that this will inevitably cause "turmoil" in industry competition and talent mobility, but it also reflects the huge market demand. Excellent talent with value will consequently receive better compensation, leading to the phenomenon of "pricing at will."
"Talent mobility is not a question of whether one is happy to see it, but something that will happen naturally," Tung Tsu-hsien believes. Although talent mobility will push up costs, if subsequent demand is strong, the market will naturally absorb these costs.
Facing geopolitical risks such as the war in the Middle East and rising raw material prices, Tung Tsu-hsien stated that as long as Taiwan maintains its role as a core partner in the global industry, its core competitiveness will not be affected. (Editor: Chang Liang-chih) 1150422
Choose to stand with the facts; every sponsorship you make is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA "First Hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.