Apple has announced a major transition occurring within its ranks in the upcoming months. It said that Jeff Williams, the current COO, is going to transition to focusing solely on design and Health initiatives before retiring late in the year. Taking over the position will be Sabih Khan. When Williams departs, Apple said the design team will report directly to CEO Tim Cook.
The company said that this move is part of a long-planned transition. To help ensure a smooth transition, Khan will take over as COO later this month, several months before Williams retires. This could help to keep investors worried about any shake up settled about the transition.
Microsoft has recently been laying off managerial workers to flatten the hierarchy in the company. By having the design team report directly to Cook, Apple is also flattening, albeit on a smaller scale.
Sabih Khan is not a well known name to the public but he’ll be bringing tons of experience to his role as COO. He has been at Apple for 30 years and joined the executive team as senior vice president of Operations in 2019. Over the last six years, he has overseen Apple’s global supply chain, focusing on product quality, ensuring smooth operations, and ensuring Apple’s suppliers are socially responsible.
Before he came to Apple in 1995 to work in the procurement group, Khan worked at GE Plastics as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader. He earned bachelor’s degrees in economics and mechanical engineering at Tufts University and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Outgoing COO Jeff Williams has had a 27-year career at Apple and 40 years in the industry. He has played a big role in developing Apple’s supply chain, including launching Apple Watch and building the company’s health strategy. In recent years he has had oversight of the design team but is now retiring to spend more time with his family.