October 10 — Bloomberg reports that Apple’s long-time Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams will officially retire at the end of 2025, closing a remarkable chapter for one of the company’s most influential executives. At the same time, Apple has finalized a major internal restructuring, redistributing several key business responsibilities.
Williams, who has served as COO since 2010, played a crucial role in Apple’s supply chain management and the development of the Apple Watch. His position has now been handed over to Sabih Khan, while his former areas of oversight have been divided among other senior leaders:
- Health and Fitness divisions now fall under Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services.
- The watchOS software team is moving under Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering.
- The Apple Watch hardware division will now be led by John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering.
According to Bloomberg, integrating the Health and Fitness units into the Services division is part of Apple’s plan to launch a new “Health+” platform in 2026 — a subscription-based service rumored to feature an AI-powered personal coach. Under the new structure, Sumbul Desai will lead both Health and Fitness teams, reporting directly to Eddy Cue.
Additionally, Williams’s previous responsibilities in hardware and software design have been reassigned to Molly Anderson and Alan Dye, respectively, both of whom now report directly to CEO Tim Cook.
Industry observers see this reshuffle as a potential prelude to a leadership transition within Apple’s top ranks. Reports also suggest that Lisa Jackson, Apple’s 63-year-old VP of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, may be considering retirement as well.
This transition underscores Apple’s ongoing evolution — from a hardware-centered company toward one increasingly defined by AI-driven services and health technology.
