Apple’s New Leadership Rises as Key Talent Departs
▼ Summary
– Apple is experiencing significant executive turnover, with key figures like Jeff Williams and Lisa Jackson retiring, and others like Jony Ive and Alan Dye leaving for competitors.
– John Ternus, Apple’s SVP of hardware engineering, is the leading candidate to succeed Tim Cook as CEO, a transition potentially happening as soon as next year.
– Apple appears to be managing succession narratives, with strategic “leaks” and increased public visibility for Ternus at product events to gauge sentiment.
– The company is undergoing a major AI leadership reshuffle, with Mike Rockwell taking over Siri development and former Google engineer Amar Subramanya replacing John Giannandrea as head of AI.
– Analysts suggest the talent exodus could be a net positive, creating opportunities for a new generation of leaders to bring fresh perspectives, especially in AI and XR.
A significant leadership transition is underway at Apple, marked by the departure of several long-tenured executives and the strategic promotion of key figures positioned to guide the company into its next era. This changing of the guard comes as the tech giant navigates the converging frontiers of artificial intelligence and spatial computing, demanding a fresh perspective at the highest levels. The executive suite in Cupertino is seeing familiar faces step back, creating opportunities for a new generation of leaders to shape Apple’s future direction.
Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams retired in November, and speculation is growing that CEO Tim Cook may follow in the near term. Adding to the shift, Lisa Jackson, the architect of Apple’s environmental initiatives since 2013, is also set to retire in January. The talent drain extends beyond retirements, with notable figures being recruited by rivals. Former chief design officer Jony Ive is collaborating with OpenAI after his work with LoveFrom, while Alan Dye, Apple’s vice president of human interface design, was recently poached by Meta to lead a new Reality Labs studio. His role has been filled internally by veteran UI designer Stephen Lemay.
Amid this reshuffle, John Ternus is emerging as the clear frontrunner to succeed Tim Cook as Apple’s next CEO, potentially as soon as next year. Ternus, a company veteran since 2001 and senior vice president of hardware engineering for the past four years, has recently taken on a more public-facing role. He announced the latest iPhone on stage in September and has increasingly appeared alongside other senior leaders in interviews and events. Industry observers see this visibility as a deliberate test of public and internal sentiment. “Apple likes to control the narrative. So these ‘leaks,’ they’re not happening unintentionally,” notes Anshel Sag, a principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. He suggests the turnover could be beneficial, creating space for empowered new voices.
Beyond the executive suite, other influential figures are gaining prominence. Bertrand Nepveu, who led a VR startup acquired by Apple and worked on the Vision Pro’s pass-through technology from 2017 to 2021, offers an insider’s perspective on the necessary leadership qualities. “John Ternus, even though I never worked with him, the feedback I got is that he’s a great product person,” Nepveu states, emphasizing that this focus is critical for Apple’s next phase involving AI and extended reality.
Nepveu points to other strategic appointments that align with a Ternus-led future. Notably, Mike Rockwell now oversees the development of Siri, taking over from AI head John Giannandrea. Rockwell previously led the Vision Pro group, and Nepveu believes his pragmatic, integrated approach is vital. “He used to joke that Siri was crap. I liked him because he didn’t drink the Kool-Aid,” Nepveu recalls. “I think in tandem with someone who is more product-focused [Ternus], it’s the way to go for Apple.” Giannandrea’s role has been assumed by Amar Subramanya, a former Google engineer with deep experience in AI models like Gemini.
This period of transition reflects a deliberate recalibration. As established leaders depart, Apple is positioning a blend of seasoned internal operators like Ternus with specialized external talent like Subramanya. The goal is a leadership team equipped to reinvigorate core products like Siri while aggressively pursuing innovation in AI and spatial computing, ensuring the company’s evolution in a fiercely competitive landscape.
(Source: Wired)
