Apple's top execs are leaving—here's what's up
Apple is going through a big leadership shake-up in 2025, with several senior execs leaving or planning to retire.
The changes hit major areas like AI, design, legal, and hardware—right as Apple is pushing hard into new tech and AI projects.
The company is shuffling roles and working to keep key talent on board.
Who's heading out?
Notable departures include John Giannandrea (AI chief), Alan Dye (design head), and Kate Adams (general counsel, retiring late 2026).
Lisa Jackson (VP of Environment & Policy) will retire soon. Jennifer Newstead will become general counsel after Adams retires.
Why it matters:
With chip boss Johny Srouji reportedly eyeing the exit and rivals like Meta and OpenAI hiring away Apple talent, there's a real risk of brain drain.
Still, Tim Cook remains CEO for now—with hardware lead John Ternus seen as a possible future successor.
Fun fact:
Apple alumni are powering up competitors' AI game: Jony Ive's design studio was acquired by OpenAI for more than $6 billion, boosting its AI hardware push.
Meanwhile, Meta hired top ex-Apple designers—including Dye—to level up their own spatial computing teams.