Meet Sabih Khan, Apple's Indian-origin exec just named its new COO

Tech giant Apple on Tuesday (local time) announced the appointment of Sabih Khan, an Indian-origin executive, as its new chief operating officer (COO). Khan, who has been with the iPhone-maker for three decades, will succeed Jeff Williams, who is stepping down later this month and retiring later this year.

Khan’s elevation comes at a time when Apple is facing a series of challenges, including slowing mobile handset growth and the reciprocal tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration.

Khan’s three-decade Apple journey

Presently serving as senior vice-president of operations, Khan oversees Apple’s global supply chain, supplier responsibility programmes, and operations teams.

Born in 1966 in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Khan moved to Singapore during his school years before relocating to the United States. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University, followed by a master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Before joining Apple’s procurement team in 1995, Khan worked at GE Plastics as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader. At the Cupertino-based company, he played a pivotal role in delivering innovative products and shaping the company’s global operational strategy. Since 2019, he has led Apple’s global supply chain, overseeing procurement, planning, manufacturing, logistics, product fulfilment, and supplier responsibility programmes aimed at protecting and educating workers worldwide.

Praise from Tim Cook and Jeff Williams

In a statement, Apple chief executive Tim Cook called Khan a “brilliant strategist” and 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,” Cook said.

Cook added, “He has advanced our ambitious efforts in environmental sustainability, helping reduce Apple’s carbon footprint by more than 60 per cent. Above all, Sabih leads with his heart and his values, and I know he will make an exceptional chief operating officer.”

Outgoing COO Jeff Williams also endorsed the move, expressing “tremendous confidence” in Apple’s future under his leadership in the new role. “I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Sabih for 27 years, and I think he’s the most talented operations executive on the planet,” Williams said.

Sabih Khan to steer AI and India plans

As COO, Khan will also navigate Apple’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Bloomberg reported that Apple’s top AI executive was recently poached by Meta, and the company continues to explore external partnerships to advance its AI technologies.

The leadership change comes as Apple accelerates efforts to shift parts of its production from China to India, aiming to reduce its exposure to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.