Apple COO Jeff Williams to Hand off Some Duties, Then Retire

Apple said Tuesday (July 8) that Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams will hand off some of his duties before retiring later this year to spend more time with friends and family. 

Williams will transition his role as COO later in July to Apple Senior Vice President of Operations Sabih Kahn; will continue reporting to Apple CEO Tim Cook and overseeing the company’s design team, Apple Watch and health initiatives; and then will retire later in the year, Apple said in a Tuesday press release.

In the release, Cook said of Williams: “Apple wouldn’t be what it is without him.”

“He’s helped to create one of the most respected global supply chains in the world; launched Apple Watch and overseen its development; architected Apple’s health strategy; and led our world-class team of designers with great wisdom, heart and dedication,” Cook said. 

The transition of the COO role to Kahn is part of a long-planned succession, according to the release.

Kahn has been at Apple for 30 years, joined the executive team as senior vice president of operations in 2019, and has been in charge of the company’s supply chain for the past six years, the release said.

Before joining Apple’s procurement group in 1995, Kahn was with GE Plastics, where he worked as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader, per the release.

“Sabih is a brilliant strategist who has been one of the central architects of Apple’s supply chain,” Cook said in the release. “While overseeing Apple’s supply chain, he has helped pioneer new technologies in advanced manufacturing, overseen the expansion of Apple’s manufacturing footprint in the United States, and helped ensure that Apple can be nimble in response to global challenges.”

It was reported in April that Apple’s plans for dealing with the U.S. tariffs imposed on China — which is at the center of the company’s supply chain — includes sending more iPhones made in India to supply the U.S. market.

Later in April, it was reported that Apple accelerated that plan and shifted from increasingly prioritizing India-made iPhones for sale in the U.S. to working to source all its U.S.-bound iPhones from India by the end of 2026.

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