Meet Sabih Khan, Apple’s India-born COO, as the tech giant deepens supply chain and India focus

Apple has named Indian-origin Sabih Khan as its new Chief Operating Officer. The transition, which Apple says is part of a long-planned succession, will take place later this month. Khan will take over from Jeff Williams, who has held the COO position since 2015. Born in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Khan and his family moved to Singapore when he was in fifth grade.

Khan, 58, has been with Apple since 1995 and currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Operations. Over the past three decades, he has played a central role in building and managing Apple’s global supply chain. His responsibilities include overseeing product planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and fulfilment, along with leading the company’s supplier responsibility programmes and environmental initiatives.

“Sabih is a brilliant strategist who has been 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. He has advanced our ambitious efforts in environmental sustainability, helping reduce Apple’s carbon footprint by more than 60%,” Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said in a statement.

As COO, Khan will be responsible for maintaining the efficiency and resilience of Apple’s supply chain while advancing its sustainability efforts. Under his leadership, Apple’s operations team has worked closely with suppliers to improve manufacturing practices and reduce environmental impact.

Prior to Apple, Khan worked at GE Plastics as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader. He holds dual bachelor’s degrees in economics and mechanical engineering from Tufts University, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Jeff Williams, who has been with Apple for 27 years, will continue to report to CEO Tim Cook and oversee Apple’s design team and health initiatives until his planned retirement later this year. His transition also signals a shift in the structure of Apple’s leadership, with the design team set to report directly to Tim Cook after Williams steps down.