Arthur Levinson to become Apple's Lead Independent Director

Arthur Levinson, who has spent more than fifteen years on Apple's board as the non-executive chairman, is set to take on a new role at the company.

As part of Apple's transition plan, John Ternus is taking over as CEO, and Tim Cook is set to become the company's executive chairman. Meanwhile, the current non-executive chairman, Arthur Levinson, will assume a new position within Apple.

In a press release on the Apple website, the company revealed that Arthur Levinson will become its lead independent director, starting September 1, 2026.

"Tim's unprecedented and outstanding leadership has transformed Apple into the world's best company," said Levinson. "He's introduced groundbreaking products and services time and again, and his integrity and values are infused into everything Apple does."

"On behalf of the entire board of directors," he continued, "we are incredibly grateful for his countless contributions to Apple and the world, and we are thrilled he will now be executive chairman."

Commenting on Apple's next CEO, Levinson described John Ternus as "the best possible leader to succeed Tim," adding that "his love of Apple, his leadership, deep technical knowledge, and relentless focus on creating great products will help lead Apple to an extraordinary future."

The move to replace 76-year-old Arthur Levinson with Tim Cook as Apple chairman was to be expected. Levinson joined Apple's board of directors more than 25 years ago, on August 15, 2000, under CEO Steve Jobs. In 2005, he began co-managing the Board before becoming non-executive chairman in 2011.

In his new role as lead independent director, Levinson will be tasked with ensuring a balance of power between the Board of Directors, which oversees strategy, the Executive Chairman, Tim Cook, and Apple's new CEO, John Ternus.

Who is Arthur Levinson?

Arthur Levinson, who holds a PhD in biomedical sciences, was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. Throughout his career, he has written or co-written more than 80 scientific articles. Levinson is also listed as an inventor on 11 U.S. patents.

Business-wise, he joined Genentech as a research scientist in 1980. Levinson rose through the company's ranks fairly quickly.

Within only 15 years, he became the CEO of Genentech, before becoming the company's chairman in 1999, a position he held until 2014. Since 2013, Levinson has also been CEO of Calico, a Google-owned biotech company.

Arthur Levinson - image credit Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

As for his role at Apple, he became a member of the company's Board of Directors in 2000. Five years later, he became Co-Lead Director, managing the board alongside other directors.

Following the death of Apple CEO Steve Jobs in 2011, Levinson assumed the role of non-executive chairman, providing strategic advice to then-CEO Tim Cook.

Levinson has served on all three board committees. This includes the Audit and Finance Committee, the People and Compensation Committee, and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

On September 1, 2026, he is set to become Apple's Lead Independent Director.

Aside from his current roles at Apple and Calico, Levinson also sat on the boards of directors of the Broad Institute, Hoffmann-La Roche, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, and Amyris Biotechnologies.

Over the years, Levinson has also won various awards, including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2014 and the Bower Award for Business Leadership in 2021. For his work in biotechnology, he received the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Double Helix Medal in 2012.

In 2006, he was awarded the James Madison Medal by Princeton University, while in 2010, he received the Biotechnology Heritage Award from the Biotechnology Industry Organization. He was also inducted into the Biotech Hall of Fame in 2003 as a result of his industry contributions.

Though he's over 75, Levinson will likely continue to play an important role at Apple under John Ternus in the years to come.