Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, is stepping down from his role later this month, as announced by the company on Tuesday. Sabih Khan, who currently serves as the senior vice president of operations, has been appointed as the new COO.
Williams has decided to step down in order to retire and hopes to “spend more time with friends and family, including five grandchildren and counting,” he stated in the press release.
Before his retirement later this year, Williams will continue to report to CEO Tim Cook and oversee the design team as well as the Apple Watch. Following Williams’ retirement, Apple’s design team will transition to reporting directly to Cook.
Having worked at Apple for nearly three decades, Williams has played a significant role in introducing the iPod and iPhone programs, leading the development of the Apple Watch, and overseeing the design team, among other contributions.