Moradabad-born Sabih Khan takes over as Apple COO after 30 years at the company. Who is he?

Until now, Sabih Khan has served as Apple’s Senior Vice President of Operations.

Apple Inc. on Tuesday appointed Sabih Khan as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), marking a significant transition in the company’s top leadership. The Indian-origin executive will succeed Jeff Williams, with the company stating that the transition forms “part of a long-planned succession.”

Born in 1966 in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Khan moved to Singapore with his family while still in school, before later relocating to the United States. He holds a bachelor's degree in both Economics and Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

Khan joined Apple in 1995 and has served in various roles over the past three decades. In its official announcement, Apple noted that he had “played an important role in delivering each of Apple’s innovative products to market.”

Prior to his long-standing tenure at Apple, Khan worked at GE Plastics, where he served as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader.

Until now, Khan has served as Apple’s Senior Vice President of Operations, reporting directly to outgoing COO Jeff Williams. He is set to take over the COO role later this month.

Williams, although stepping down as COO, will continue to play a key leadership role within the company. Apple confirmed that he will continue to oversee the design team as well as the company’s Health initiatives.

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, praised Khan’s contribution to the company and described him as a “brilliant strategist.”

“Sabih is a brilliant strategist who has been one of the central architects of Apple’s supply chain,” said Cook in a statement.

“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 added.

The CEO also commended Khan for advancing Apple’s sustainability goals. “He has helped to advance Apple’s ambitious efforts in environmental sustainability,” said Cook.