Meet Sabih Khan: Everything to Know About Apple's New COO

Sabih Khan has been with Apple for nearly 30 years. He joined the company in 1995 after working at GE Plastics, where he was an engineer and technical leader. He studied economics and mechanical engineering at Tufts University and earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Khan became Apple’s Senior Vice President of Operations in 2019. Since then, he’s been in charge of Apple's global supply chain—handling everything from product planning and manufacturing to shipping and making sure suppliers meet the company’s labor standards.

Why is his appointment important?

Although Apple says this leadership change was planned in advance, it comes at a critical time. The company is under pressure from the U.S. government to move more manufacturing to the U.S. or face tariffs for producing in countries like China and India.

At the same time, Apple is dealing with backlash over its delayed rollout of a new AI-powered version of Siri. Many customers bought the iPhone 16 expecting the AI features to be ready—but they’re still waiting.

With his deep expertise in supply chains, Khan is expected to help Apple navigate these challenges—both in terms of technology and market demands.

What did Tim Cook say?

Apple CEO Tim Cook praised Khan for his leadership, innovation, and strong values. “Sabih has been a key figure behind Apple’s supply chain,” Cook said. “He’s helped us adopt advanced manufacturing technologies, grow our production in the U.S., and improve our environmental efforts—cutting Apple’s carbon footprint by over 60 percent. He leads with heart and integrity and will be an outstanding COO.”

Outgoing COO Jeff Williams also spoke highly of Khan. “I’ve worked with Sabih for 27 years,” he said. “He’s the best operations executive I know, and I’m confident in Apple’s future under his leadership.”