Jeff Williams, chief operating officer of Apple Inc., during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) at Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, US, on Monday, June 9, 2025.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple said on Tuesday that Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, a 27-year company veteran, will be retiring later this year.
Current operations leader Sabih Khan will take over much of the COO role later this month, Apple said. For his remaining time with the comapny, Williams will continue to head up Apple’s design team, Apple Watch, and health initiatives, reporting to CEO Tim Cook.
Williams’ retirement is the latest example of longtime Apple executives stepping down in recent years as employees who were active in Apple’s growth years get to retirement age. Williams is 62.
Williams was one of the most important executives at Apple, running the company’s formidable operations division, which is in charge of manufacturing millions of devices such as iPhones while keeping costs down.
He also led important teams inside Apple, including its fabled industrial design team, after longtime leader Jony Ive retired in 2019.
“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,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.
Williams said in a statement he plans to spend more time with friends and family. “June marked my 27th anniversary with Apple, and my 40th in the industry,” Williams said.
Sabih Khan.
Courtesy: Apple
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