Apple is restructuring: These personnel changes will shape the future

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Apple will undergo significant changes in its leadership starting in 2026. Several long-serving executives are retiring, others are changing roles, or leaving the company unexpectedly. Even though Tim Cook will remain CEO for the time being, current developments clearly show that Apple is structurally preparing for the coming years. The leadership change in 2026 is not an isolated event, but rather part of a larger, long-term transition.

Companies are constantly changing, primarily through personnel changes. This is especially true for a corporation like Apple with approximately 164,000 employees. Most of these changes occur at lower and middle management levels and largely go unnoticed.

The situation is different when it comes to changes at the top. Changes at the VP, SVP, or C-level affect large parts of the company. Such changes have become increasingly frequent at Apple since the end of 2025. According to The Information, Apple's organizational chart has barely changed since its last major update over six years ago. The number of approximately 100 VP and SVP positions has remained largely constant since 2019.

The current series of announcements is all the more striking. Several executives are announcing their retirement for 2026, while other roles are being redistributed or merged. This suggests less of an upheaval and more of an adjustment after many years of unusual personnel stability.

Apple's new organizational chart from 2026

Based on announcements made up to the end of 2025, the top management at Apple will have changed by the beginning of 2026. Some roles will remain the same, others will be redefined or filled entirely by new people.

Tim Cook remains CEO of Apple

Tim Cook remains at the helm of Apple. No change is planned in the short term. While there are rumors that Cook might step down sometime in 2026, observers expect him to stay in office at least until 2029 – that is, until the end of the Trump administration.

Political circumstances also play a role. For Apple, it is advantageous to retain Cook longer in order to maintain stable leadership in dealing with the current Trump administration.

Cook's extended tenure also gives Apple time for careful succession planning. New leaders can establish themselves in their roles, while Cook can prepare his eventual successor. This ensures a controlled, rather than abrupt, leadership transition at Apple.

Operational business: Sabih Khan takes over from Jeff Williams

Jeff Williams has stepped down from his position as Chief Operating Officer. The change was announced in July but took several months to complete. Williams remained with the company until November to continue supporting the design team before officially retiring.

Sabih Khan is the new COO. He reports directly to Tim Cook and assumes a key role in Apple's day-to-day operations. He also takes on additional responsibilities as other retirements lead to a redistribution of duties.

Artificial Intelligence: Switch from Giannandrea to Subramanya

There has been a lengthy internal restructuring in the AI department. In December, it was announced that John Giannandrea would be stepping down from his position as Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and AI Strategy. He will remain as an advisor until spring 2026 and will then retire from Apple.

His successor will be Amar Subramanya, a former AI manager at Microsoft. He will be appointed Vice President for AI. Although the title is a lower grade, many indications point to a more focused role, clearly centered on AI topics.

Subramanya will assume responsibility for Apple Foundational Models, ML Research, and AI Safety and Evaluation. He will report to Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering.

A large part of Giannandrea's previous responsibilities will also be distributed between Eddy Cue, SVP for Services, and COO Sabih Khan.

Apple remains stable: Johny Srouji confirms he will stay with the company

Environment, Politics and Law: New structure under Jennifer Newstead

Two further retirements mark the realignment at Apple. Lisa Jackson, Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, will retire in January 2026. Kate Adams, Apple's General Counsel, will follow in March 2026.

Apple is responding with a reorganization of these areas. A new role is being created for Jennifer Newstead: Senior Vice President of General Counsel and Government Affairs. In this capacity, she will report directly to Tim Cook.

Lisa Jackson's responsibilities for environmental and social initiatives will not be completely replaced, but rather assumed by COO Sabih Khan. This move allows Apple to more effectively consolidate political, legal, and regulatory issues at the highest level.

Design: Steve Lemay succeeds Alan Dye

One of the most surprising announcements also came in December. Alan Dye, Apple's former head of design, is leaving the company and moving to Meta. There, he will assume the role of Chief Design Officer on December 31st.

Apple confirmed the change and simultaneously announced that Steve Lemay will take over as head of design. Lemay has been with Apple for many years and represents continuity within the design team.

Change is inevitable at Apple

In addition to the positions mentioned, Apple has numerous other SVPs, VPs, and special roles, such as Phil Schiller's title of Apple Fellow. These cannot all be fully represented in a single report. While there are other changes at the top, only the most significant ones regularly make it into the news.

It is striking that there have been few major role changes over many years. The cluster of resignation announcements at the end of 2025 is therefore an exception. While there were also changes in 2024, such as Luca Maestri's role change, they were not on a comparable scale.

Some observers might interpret this development as a sign of problems at Apple. However, in the long term, there are many indications that this is a necessary correction after years of minimal progress. If Tim Cook were to step down one day, a major reshuffle would be expected anyway.

Until then, the current leadership change at Apple appears less like a break and more like a controlled transition phase in a company that traditionally retains its executives for long periods. (Image: mrchv / DepositPhotos.com)