India, Nov. 15 -- In a succession plan by Apple, Tim Cook is likely to step down as the CEO of the tech giant soon, Financial Times reported.

Cook is likely to step down as soon as next year.

John Ternus, an Apple engineer, is widely viewed as a top contender to succeed Cook.

Who is John Ternus?

Ternus is the Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Apple.

He joined Apple in 2001 as part of its product design team.

He oversees engineering for major Apple hardware like the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and AirPods.

He played a key role in the Mac's transition to Apple Silicon (M-series chips).

He has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

A former competitive swimmer in college, Ternus is being widely sp...