On November 14, Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams officially retired after clocking out at Apple Park. Williams stepped down as COO in July this year and handed over the position to Sabih Khan. He has since remained with the company, reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook and taking charge of the design team.
When Tim Cook announced his retirement, he said: "I have worked with Jeff for almost as long as I can remember. Without him, Apple would not be what it is today. He helped build the most respected supply chain in the world and promoted Apple. He helped shape Apple's health strategy through the development and launch of Watch, while leading our top design team with exceptional intelligence, responsibility and dedication. I am infinitely grateful for his many contributions and loyal friendships to Apple over the years. While he will be greatly missed, Apple's future is in good hands."
Jeff Williams joined Apple in 1998 and initially served as global procurement director. Since 2010, he has been responsible for global operations. He is also a core promoter in the fields of product design, sports and health. Today, businesses such as health and fitness have moved to the services sector.
His successor, Sabih Khan, who is 59 years old, is only a few years younger than Tim Cook. Khan has served as senior vice president in charge of operations since 2019, so he is expected to be a potential successor when Cook retires in the future, just like Cook in the Steve Jobs era.
Apple has not yet announced a CEO succession plan. Although there is no sign that Cook is about to leave, he said in 2021 that he would leave Apple within the next ten years, so the company still has time to announce relevant arrangements. At present, it seems likely that Apple has selected an internal successor. After Williams retires, the most promising successors include Craig Federighi, John Ternus and Greg Joswiak.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman first reported the news of Williams' official departure on Friday.