Indian-origin Sabih Khan appointed Apple’s new COO

Apple has appointed Sabih Khan, an Indian-origin executive as its new chief operating officer. The announcement was made in a company statement on Monday. Khan, a 30-year veteran of Apple, will succeed Jeff Williams, a longtime Apple executive who is stepping down from the role this month and retiring later this year.

The transition marks a major shift in leadership during a turbulent period for the iPhone maker grappling with tariff challenges and slowing iPhone growth.

Khan currently serves as senior vice president of operations and will assume his new role later this month. He oversees the company’s global supply chain, supplier responsibility programmes, and operations teams.

Who is Sabih Khan?

Born in 1966 in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, Khan moved with his family to Singapore during his school years before relocating to the United States. He earned dual bachelor’s degrees in economics and mechanical engineering from Tufts University, followed by a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

 Khan joined Apple’s procurement team in 1995. Prior to this, he worked at GE Plastics as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader. Over the years, Khan has played a critical role in delivering Apple’s most innovative products to market and shaping the company’s global operational strategy.

Williams, the outgoing COO, will continue to report to CEO Tim Cook and will remain in charge of the design team and Apple Watch until his retirement later this year. After his departure, the design team will report directly to Cook.