New Delhi: Apple is entering one of the biggest leadership transitions in its recent history. With Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams set to retire by the end of 2025, the spotlight has naturally shifted to a more pressing question: who’s next in line after CEO Tim Cook?
Tim Cook, now 64, has been running Apple since 2011. Despite mounting pressure from Apple’s ongoing AI troubles and slowing innovation, Cook is expected to continue for at least a few more years. However, with no immediate successor clearly groomed, the retirement of Williams has raised fresh doubts about Apple’s long-term leadership plan.
Who is next in line after Tim Cook?
Jeff Williams had long been seen as Cook’s most likely successor. According to a Bloomberg report, he was the company’s second-in-command and had deep experience across operations, design, health, and hardware. Now that he’s stepping away, the options look less obvious.
Apple has confirmed that Sabih Khan, Senior VP of Operations, will take over as COO. Khan has been with Apple since the 1990s and knows the company inside out. But insiders suggest his new role doesn’t make him a clear future CEO. While he will hold the same title, Khan lacks Williams’ broad experience in product and design leadership. His day-to-day role will remain focused on operations.
This means Apple is entering an uncertain phase. There’s currently no single executive positioned as the top backup if something were to happen to Cook.
Could John Ternus take the top job?
Among Cook’s remaining inner circle, John Ternus, Apple’s hardware engineering head, stands out. He’s about 15 years younger than Cook and has spent over two decades at Apple. Ternus already leads hardware across the iPhone, Mac, and iPad product lines. That’s a big deal in a company where product control means power.
Some say Ternus could become a “product-first CEO,” the kind many Apple watchers believe the company now needs. He may not have the financial or operational depth that Cook brought, but he has the Apple DNA. He’d likely rely on a strong CFO and COO, if chosen.
Still, Ternus may represent continuity more than change. And right now, Apple’s critics are calling for something very different.
Apple’s board isn’t in a rush
The board, made up of longtime Cook allies like Arthur Levinson and Susan Wagner, isn’t pushing for a CEO transition. Despite Apple’s recent troubles, from AI stumbles to losing top AI talent like Ruoming Pang to Meta, the board still trusts Cook to steer the ship.
One analyst said there’s no crisis big enough to shake their confidence in Cook. In fact, if anything, his power inside the company might grow. Levinson is over Apple’s retirement age for board members, and there’s speculation that Cook could eventually become chairman.
What’s next?
Without Williams, Apple is spreading his responsibilities across teams. Software engineering head Craig Federighi will oversee Siri and health software. AppleCare may move to Khan. Design teams will now report directly to Cook. And the Vision Pro team is being split between hardware and software units.
The company’s internal reshuffling points to a reset moment. The departure of many senior executives, some over 60, means Apple could soon look and feel quite different at the top.
But until Cook makes his own exit plan or the board forces one, the question of Apple’s next CEO will remain open.