Apple COO Jeff Williams announces retirement, Sabih Khan to succeed
What's the story
Apple's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jeff Williams has announced his retirement, marking a major leadership change at the tech giant. Williams will step down from his role as COO this month and retire from the company later this year, Apple said in a statement. He'll continue to lead the design team and health initiatives until his departure. Sabih Khan, a 30-year veteran of Apple who joined its executive team as Senior Vice President of Operations in 2019, will succeed him.
Transition
Challenges Khan will face as Apple's new COO
As COO, Khan will face challenges such as tariff costs and slowing iPhone growth. He will continue to report to Apple CEO Tim Cook and is expected to take on additional divisions like AppleCare. The leadership change comes at a time when Apple is facing global regulatory scrutiny and competition from new AI-focused start-ups developing hardware products that could potentially replace its existing devices such as iPhones, iPads, Macs.
Impact
Williams's departure one of the most significant in Apple's history
Williams, who joined Apple in 1998 and became COO in 2015, was known for building a supply chain capable of supporting hundreds of millions of devices annually. He has been Cook's top deputy for over a decade, overseeing the company's supply chain and engineering for the Apple Watch. "Jeff's importance and contributions to Apple have been enormous," said Tony Blevins, a former vice president of operations at Apple who reported to Williams until late 2022.
Succession
What will happen to Williams's other responsibilities?
Apple has not revealed where Williams's other responsibilities, including engineering for the Apple Watch and health technologies, will be placed in the company. Earlier this year, Apple transferred other hardware projects to John Ternus, Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering. "Jeff's true legacy can be seen in the amazing team he's created," Cook said in a prepared statement. Insiders expect that Khan's deputy Priya Balasubramaniam could take on a bigger role managing the company's supply chain.