COO Jeff Williams is stepping back from operations and expected to leave later this year.
Apple is reportedly exploring external AI talent to strengthen its artificial intelligence division.
John Ternus, 50, has risen in prominence and is now shaping product strategy beyond hardware engineering.
Apple is reportedly planning for a big leadership transition with its hardware engineering chief John Ternus emerging as a central figure in succession planning. This comes amid potential departures of several long serving executives, raising questions about the company’s future direction. For years, Apple’s executive team has remained stable, despite occasional high-profile exits such as design chief Jony Ive and retail head Angela Ahrendts in 2019.
SurveyCEO Tim Cook has largely kept key leaders past the typical retirement age. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Phil Schiller, who stepped down as Apple’s top marketing executive in 2020, continues to oversee the App Store and product launches, while Luca Maestri has retained oversight of real estate and information systems despite leaving the CFO position last year.
That stability seems to be shifting. Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, who was once considered Cook’s potential successor, stepped down from operations in July and is expected to leave the company later this year, the report added. Other senior executives may follow. Apple’s AI chief, John Giannandrea, has faced challenges with initiatives like Apple Intelligence and Siri. While he remains in his position, his long-term future is uncertain, and Apple is reportedly looking for external candidates, including Meta executives, to help strengthen its AI capabilities.
Johny Srouji, the senior vice president of hardware technologies in charge of Apple’s A-series and M-series chips, is considering his future. His division recently unveiled the company’s first in-house cellular modem, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips. Possible internal successors include Zongjian Chen and Sri Santhanam. Lisa Jackson, senior vice president in charge of environmental, accessibility, and government affairs initiatives, has also reportedly considered retiring.
Cook’s approaching retirement, at 65 next month, increases the importance of succession planning. With Williams’ departure, Apple now lacks a clear second-in-command. Interim leadership could be provided by COO Sabih Khan or retail chief Deirdre O’Brien, but sources say the hardware engineering chief is the most likely candidate for the CEO position.
At 50 years old, John Ternus is the same age as Cook when he became CEO, potentially allowing for a decade or more in the role. Reports believe Apple may prefer a technology-focused leader as it seeks to accelerate growth in areas such as mixed reality, generative AI, autonomous vehicles, and the smart home.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
