Apple has appointed Johny Srouji as its new chief hardware officer, “effective immediately,” according to an announcement on Monday. He is stepping into the shoes of current hardware engineering head John Ternus, who will replace Tim Cook as CEO in September, while Cook becomes the chairman of the board.

Srouji joined Apple in 2008 and previously served as the senior vice president of hardware technologies. He oversaw the launch of Apple’s in-house chips, starting with the A4, and helped develop a range of other technologies used in Apple products, including batteries, cameras, storage controllers, sensors, displays, and cellular modems.

“Johny is one of the most talented people I have ever had the privilege to work with,” Cook says in a statement. “He has played a singular role in driving Apple’s silicon strategy, and his influence has been felt deeply not just inside the company, but across the industry.”