Apple has stepped up internal succession planning as CEO Tim Cook, now 65, enters the final phase of his tenure more than a decade after succeeding Steve Jobs in 2011. Reports indicate the company is preparing for leadership change, though no formal timeline has been announced.

Senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus is seen as the leading candidate to take over, with insiders describing him as the preferred successor. Apple has not commented publicly, but industry expectations are growing that Cook’s exit may come sooner rather than later.