While Tim Cook won't be CEO at Apple after September, he still plans to remain as the executive chairman for quite some time.

On Monday, Apple confirmed that CEO Tim Cook will be leaving the role on September 1 as part of a planned transition, with John Ternus set to take over the position. While Cook will be out of the hot seat, he intends to be a presence at Apple for a while longer.

Speaking at an all-hands meeting with employees after the announcement, Bloomberg reports that the 65-year-old Cook said he was "healthy" and had plans to stay as executive chairman.

"I'm excited to continue my journey at Apple as executive chairman," Cook told attendees. "I am healthy. My energy is high, and I plan to be in this new role for a long time."

He added that he will be around to support Ternus in any way he can. "I'll be here to offer my knowledge and experience and be a sounding board anytime I'm called upon."

"Apple will be my top priority," he continued. "It's who I am at my core, and I can't imagine it any other way."

Best. Ever. Transition.

When asked why he was stepping down as CEO, he said that he wanted the "best-ever transition." Clarifying, he meant that it would be Apple doing "great" as a business with an "incredible" roadmap, and with Ternus ready to take over.

With Apple managing its best-ever quarter during its Q1 results and a great product pipeline, Cook said that the three factors "all intersected and they intersect now," so it was time to act.

His wish for a pain-free transition echoes comments made during Apple's 50th anniversary interviews.

In March, Cook recounted that co-founder Steve Jobs wanted a professional transition for Apple with the move to Cook, as Apple hadn't experienced it before. It was always done "at a time of panic," Cook explained, and Jobs wanted it to be orderly.

At the time Cook entered the role, Jobs saw how Disney entered a state of paralysis and constantly asking what Walt Disney would do following the company founder's death. He didn't want that to happen, so he told Cook to instead "do the right thing" instead of asking what Jobs would do.

Evidently, Cook took this thinking to heart, resulting in a half-year-long preparation phase for the switch to Ternus.

Technically not a retirement

While Cook will be moving out of the CEO chair, this won't be a retirement for the executive, especially as he becomes the executive chairman.

In another interview in March, there was a reference to an earlier interview in 2021 when Cook said he probably would be out of Apple by 2031. He responded by flat-out denying the story, reframing it as being still deeply in love with Apple.

At the time, he didn't say he would retire or would move on, nor when if he were to.

Shifting roles to executive chairman still fulfills his wish to be at Apple, if not directly steering the ship.