Apple is seemingly set to undergo one of its most significant leadership changes in over a decade, as CEO Tim Cook prepares the next generation of leaders because of the multiple senior executives preparing to depart.
In the latest edition of Mark Gurman’s Bloomberg newsletter, Power On, it was noted that Jeff Williams, Cook’s potential successor, has already given up operational responsibilities and will leave the company later this year.
This departure marks the first significant change within the technology giant since 2019, when both Chief Design Officer Jony Ive and the Apple Retail lead Angela Ahrendts left the company.
According to Gurman, this will mark the beginning of a broader reshuffling of Apple’s top executives (essentially a very expensive game of musical chairs), with many of them having been in the same roles for over a decade.
More notable executives who might depart include Johny Srouji, the executive behind the A and M chip, and Lisa Jackson, the vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives. Both are reportedly evaluating their futures, with Jackson “keeping a low profile,” according to Gurman, while Jackson now has her deputies handle most of the interactions with the U.S. government.
MacRumors’ Hartley Charlton pointed out that Tim Cook is 65, and Gurman notes that Cook might transition to a chairman position, similar to what Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Larry Ellison have done at Amazon, Microsoft and Oracle, respectively. Although there is no apparent second-in-command now that Williams has left, the leading internal candidate is reportedly John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering.
Ternus, 50, has seen growth in both product strategy and public relations. He oversaw the production of the iPad, iPhone, and Mac in recent years, with the longtime executive being the face of the iPhone Air launch last month.
Gurman writes that the transition of power will most likely be gradual, as Ternus is referred to as fitting the mould of a “long-term successor.”
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