establish importance of Apple's design team when he takes over as CEO: report

Key Points:

• Over the past decade under Tim Cook, Apple's design team's influence at the executive level has diminished, especially following Jony Ive's departure, with finance and operations gaining more control over product direction.
• After Ive left, design oversight shifted to former COO Jeff Williams, marking a significant change from the Steve Jobs era when Ive had near-equal operational power to Jobs himself.
• Currently, Apple lacks a senior design executive role, and the design team is perceived to have less importance compared to the operations division, though recent leadership additions like Molly Anderson and Steve Lemay suggest some changes.
• Incoming CEO John Ternus is expected to reinvigorate the design team's role, having already spent significant time with the industrial design group and expressing commitment to maintaining Apple's reputation for beautifully designed products.
• Ternus’s succession, effective September 1, signals a potential shift back toward prioritizing design in Apple's product strategy after years of reduced influence.