Apple COO Jeff Williams set to retire later this year

Macworld

Apple has announced an upcoming transition to its senior leadership team. Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams will retire late this year. His duties as COO will transition later this month to Sabih Khan, who is currently the senior vice president of Operations. Khan has been with Apple since 1995, joining the company three years before Williams.

When Jony Ive left Apple in 2019, the design team transitioned to report directly to Williams. It will continue to do so—as will the Apple Watch and Health teams he oversees—until he retires later this year. After that, the design team will report directly to CEO Tim Cook.

In the announcement, Cook said of Williams:

Jeff and I have worked alongside each other for as long as I can remember, and 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. I am and will always be beyond grateful for his numerous contributions to Apple over the years and his loyal friendship. Jeff’s true legacy can be seen in the amazing team he’s created and, while he’ll be greatly missed, he leaves the work of the future in incredible hands.
Tim Cook

There was a time when Jeff Williams was on the shortlist of Apple executives to replace CEO Tim Cook, along with John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, and Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering. As for his retirement, Williams said he intends to “spend more time with friends and family, including five grandchildren and counting.”