Apple Appoints Indian-Origin Sabih Khan as New COO; Jeff Williams Shifts Focus to Apple Watch

Apple announced the elevation of Sabih Khan to the company's Chief Operating Officer on Tuesday. Khan, who currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Operations, will take the new position later this month, as the existing COO, Jeff Williams, transitions from the role. It is understood that Williams will continue to work in an advisory role and take retirement later this year. Khan, on the other hand, is being promoted to the C-suite position after spending three decades at the Cupertino-based tech giant.

Who Is Sabih Khan?

Khan is an Indian-origin individual who was born in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, in 1966, according to an India Today report. He reportedly moved to Singapore when he was in fifth grade and earned his degree in Bachelor of Economics and Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University. Khan is also said to have pursued a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, Apple noted in the announcement post.

Initially, he worked at GE Plastics as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader. Khan joined Apple in 1995 and has been working there ever since. In 2019, he joined the executive team as the Senior Vice President of Operations. Khan has also been in charge of Apple's global supply chain for the past six years.

His responsibility during this time included planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and product fulfilment functions, and ensure product quality. Khan has also played a key role in Apple's environment-focused initiatives.

Apple noted that Khan was being elevated to the COO role as part of its long-planned succession. Meanwhile, Williams will oversee the company's design team and Apple Watch, as well as health initiatives. Later this year, the design team will be transitioned to reporting directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook as Williams takes retirement.

“Sabih is a brilliant strategist who has been one of the central architects of Apple's supply chain. While overseeing Apple's supply chain, he has helped pioneer new technologies in advanced manufacturing, overseen the expansion of Apple's manufacturing footprint in the United States, and helped ensure that Apple can be nimble in response to global challenges. He has advanced our ambitious efforts in environmental sustainability, helping reduce Apple's carbon footprint by more than 60 percent,” said Cook.