Apple announced on July 8, 2025, that longtime chief operating officer Jeff Williams would hand the role to Sabih Khan later that month. Williams did not leave Apple immediately: he continued reporting to CEO Tim Cook and overseeing design, Apple Watch, and health initiatives before his planned retirement later in 2025. Apple now lists Khan as its COO.
What Apple announced—and when
Apple described the change as a “long-planned succession.” The announcement involved three separate steps: Williams would transition out of the COO role, Khan would take over that role, and Williams would retire from Apple later in 2025. Apple said the COO handoff would happen later in July but did not give a specific day. Apple’s July 8, 2025 announcement did not say Williams was leaving the company on the announcement date.
During the transition, Williams continued reporting to Cook and retained oversight of Apple’s design team, Apple Watch, and health initiatives. Williams said he planned to spend more time with friends and family beginning in 2026.
Who is Sabih Khan?
Khan was Apple’s senior vice president of Operations before becoming COO. Apple said he had been with the company for 30 years as of July 2025 and had joined its executive team in 2019. He led Apple’s global supply chain for six years, with responsibilities spanning planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, product fulfillment, and supplier-responsibility programs.
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His earlier experience included work at GE Plastics. Khan earned bachelor’s degrees in economics and mechanical engineering from Tufts University and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His promotion was an internal succession to an executive role he had already supported through Apple’s operations organization.
Why Williams’s departure from the COO role matters
Williams’s portfolio extended beyond operations. Apple credited him with building out its global supply chain and supporting expansion across the United States, China, India, Japan, and Southeast Asia. The company also said he contributed to iPod and iPhone programs, led the Apple Watch effort more than a decade ago, shaped Apple’s health strategy, and oversaw design in recent years.
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Apple noted that Williams marked his 27th anniversary at the company in June 2025 and his 40th year in the industry. Those roles help explain why the handoff drew attention: it involved an executive whose work touched product development, suppliers, health, and design as well as the COO title.
What changed for Apple’s design, Watch, and health teams?
Apple said its design team would report directly to Cook after Williams retired later in 2025. The announcement did not name a new executive to lead the overall design organization, nor did it establish that Cook would personally take on the work of a design leader.
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Williams was to continue overseeing Apple Watch and the company’s Health initiatives during the transition. Apple’s announcement did not specify who would assume each of those responsibilities after his retirement, so it does not support naming a single successor for them.
Does the transition signal trouble or identify Cook’s successor?
Apple characterized the change as a planned succession, and the announcement alone does not establish that it was prompted by an operational crisis, supply-chain problems, or weak sales. It is still a meaningful leadership change because Williams had held a broad portfolio, while some responsibilities were set to move under Cook’s direct reporting structure.
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- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
Apple did not identify Khan as Cook’s successor or announce a CEO succession plan. The COO appointment may prompt questions about Apple’s future leadership, but treating it as evidence that Khan is next in line for CEO would go beyond what the company announced.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Apple’s current COO
Apple’s leadership page lists Sabih Khan as chief operating officer. Apple also referred to Khan as COO in its December 2025 executive-transitions announcement, confirming that he held the role after the 2025 handoff.
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- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
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