Apple announced Tuesday that Jeff Williams, its chief operating officer, will retire later this month. Sabih Khan, currently senior vice president of operations, will succeed him as COO. Williams cited a desire to “spend more time with friends and family, including five grandchildren and counting,” as his reason for stepping down.
Prior to his full retirement later this year, Williams will continue to report directly to CEO Tim Cook. He will maintain oversight of the design team and the Apple Watch division during this interim period. Following his complete departure, the design team will transition to reporting directly to Cook.
Williams has been with Apple for nearly three decades, contributing significantly to the company’s product development. His tenure included pivotal roles in the introductions of both the iPod and iPhone programs. He also led the development of the Apple Watch and supervised the company’s design team, among other contributions throughout his career at Apple.
