Former Apple CFO Luca Maestri is taking another step back from the company. Bloomberg reports he left the CFO role in January 2025, stayed on to run Apple’s Corporate Services teams, then stepped down from that job in recent weeks. He is still at Apple, but he has no responsibilities left other than hosting a class at Apple University.
That is the story in plain English. The man who used to run the books is now a guest lecturer. He reported to former Apple CEO Tim Cook. He does not report to new Apple CEO John Ternus.
Maestri’s Slow Exit From Apple
This was not a slammed door. Apple ran it as a long handoff. That is how giant companies try to keep investors from getting jumpy.
- January 2025: Maestri left the CFO job.
- After that he stayed and ran Corporate Services.
- In recent weeks, as of September 1, 2026, he stepped down from Corporate Services.
- He is still employed. His only remaining duty is a class at Apple University.
I have been around long enough to know a slow fade when I see one. He still has a badge. Nobody is asking him to open the safe.
Why the Reporting Line Matters
Maestri reported to Tim Cook. He does not report to John Ternus. When the new CEO does not have you on the chart, you are not in the room. You are finishing your time.
You do not need a corporate lecture. You just need to know the Cook-era money guy is no longer deciding how Apple spends, saves, or ships.
What This Means for Regular People
Your iPhone will still turn on tomorrow. That is not the point. The point is who is running the company that builds the phone, holds your photos, and takes your money every month.
Maestri was not a product designer. He was the finance guy. CFOs set how tight the budget is, how much cash goes back to shareholders, and how much risk the company will swallow. When that person steps away at the same time a new CEO takes over, the system can change even if the logo stays put.
- If you own Apple stock, this is not gossip. It is who signs off on the money.
- If you run a small shop on Macs and iPhones, new bosses change what gets funded and what gets ignored.
- If you just want a phone that works, nothing changes this week. It can change the company over the next couple of years.
Apple is a system. Systems either work or they do not. The people who kept this one humming under Cook are stepping aside. Watch what Ternus does with the books, not the press releases.
Primary Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/01/luca-maestri-apple-winding-down/