Apple's Imminent COO: Insights into Sabih Khan's Background
Sabih Khan, born in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1966, has been appointed as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Apple, succeeding Jeff Williams as part of a planned leadership transition under CEO Tim Cook.
Khan's journey to Apple began in 1995 when he joined the company's procurement team. His education, however, took him halfway across the world, with dual bachelor's degrees in economics and mechanical engineering from Tufts University and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the United States.
Before joining Apple, Khan worked at GE Plastics, where he developed technical solutions for clients and managed complex manufacturing relationships. These skills have proven invaluable in the high-pressure world of consumer electronics.
As Senior Vice President of Operations since 2019, Khan has been instrumental in transforming Apple's global supply chain and operations. He has overseen manufacturing, procurement, logistics, supplier responsibility, and environmental sustainability initiatives worldwide. His efforts have been credited with streamlining Apple's complex supply chain, expanding supplier responsibility programs that prioritise worker welfare and green manufacturing practices, and helping Apple reduce its carbon footprint by over 60 percent.
In his new role as COO, Khan will be responsible for procurement, planning, manufacturing, logistics, product fulfilment, and supplier responsibility programs. He will also report directly to Tim Cook and may oversee expanding business units like AppleCare.
Khan's influence will be felt in every iPhone manufactured, every Mac delivered on time, and every step Apple takes toward a more sustainable future. He is known inside Apple as a values-first leader who builds trust, emphasises long-term thinking, and quietly gets the job done.
His appointment as COO is significant because he is considered one of the central architects of Apple’s world-class supply chain. Khan's rise reflects a strategic continuity and focus on sustainability and operational excellence for Apple’s future.
Moreover, Khan's rise from Moradabad to Apple's C-suite is notable for its global representation in tech leadership. His appointment is a source of pride for the Indian diaspora and a signal of Apple's increasingly global leadership bench.
Over the next three decades, Khan rose through the ranks at Apple, culminating in his appointment as COO. He is set to succeed Jeff Williams on July 8, 2025. Khan's unique blend of business and engineering skills has been a defining advantage in his career, enabling him to balance cost, ethics, innovation, and global scale for Apple.
Khan's quiet strength and strategic vision make him well-suited to lead Apple's operations as it continues to innovate and grow. His appointment marks a notable milestone as an Indian-origin executive takes on one of the highest operational roles in one of the world’s leading technology companies.
- Sabih Khan's unique blend of education in economics and mechanical engineering, coupled with his experience in business and technology, has been instrumental in Apple's supply chain transformation and sustainability efforts.
- As the new COO of Apple, Sabih Khan's responsibilities encompass various aspects of the business, including finance, technology, and education-and-self-development initiatives, as he oversees product fulfillment, supplier responsibility programs, and potentially expanding business units like AppleCare.
