Who is Sabih Khan, the Indian-origin executive named Apple's new chief operating officer?

Apple has announced that Sabih Khan, the company’s longtime senior vice president of Operations, will succeed Jeff Williams as Chief Operating Officer later this month. Williams, who has worked at Apple for nearly three decades, will continue reporting to CEO Tim Cook and overseeing Apple’s design team and health initiatives until his retirement later this year.

The Indian-origin executive has been a central figure in shaping Apple’s global supply chain for decades. Having joined Apple’s procurement group in 1995, Khan rose through the ranks to become senior vice president of Operations in 2019. Over the past six years, he has led Apple’s global supply chain, overseeing planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and product fulfillment. He has also overseen Apple’s supplier responsibility programs that focus on worker protection, education, and environmental sustainability.

“Sabih is a brilliant strategist who has been one of the central architects of Apple’s supply chain,” said Tim Cook. “He has helped pioneer new technologies in advanced manufacturing, expanded Apple’s footprint in the U.S., and pushed forward our environmental goals — cutting Apple’s carbon footprint by over 60 percent. Above all, Sabih leads with heart and integrity, and I know he will make an exceptional chief operating officer.”


Khan’s leadership has also played a vital role in advancing Apple’s green manufacturing initiatives and in fostering partnerships with suppliers to reduce environmental impact. His contributions have been key to ensuring Apple’s agility in the face of global challenges, such as supply chain disruptions and rising sustainability demands.

Before joining Apple, Khan worked at GE Plastics as an applications development engineer and technical leader. He holds dual bachelor's degrees in economics and mechanical engineering from Tufts University and a master’s in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

As Apple prepares for this leadership change, Cook emphasized that Khan is the ideal person to guide Apple’s operations into the future: “I have tremendous confidence in Apple’s future under his leadership in this role.”