Apple made an interesting omission in yesterday’s chief operating officer transition announcement. Design, which previously reported to COO Jeff Williams, will soon report to CEO Tim Cook, but the press release stopped short of explaining where Williams’ other product responsibility will go when he leaves.
What happens to Apple Watch and Health after the COO transition?
Operations veteran Sabih Khan will take over as COO later this month, but Jeff Williams will hang around the company through the end of the year to oversee non-operational areas of the company: design, Apple Watch, and Health.
Williams will continue reporting to Apple CEO Tim Cook and overseeing Apple’s world-class design team and Apple Watch alongside the company’s Health initiatives. Apple’s design team will then transition to reporting directly to Cook after Williams retires late in the year.
The very next thing in the press release is a quote from Tim Cook praising Williams’ accomplishments at Apple, including his work on Apple Watch and Health.
“Jeff and I have worked alongside each other for as long as I can remember, and Apple wouldn’t be what it is without him. He’s helped to create one of the most respected global supply chains in the world; launched Apple Watch and overseen its development; architected Apple’s health strategy; and led our world-class team of designers with great wisdom, heart, and dedication,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.
The next and final mention of Apple Watch comes in a section summarizing Williams’ contribution at Apple:
He led the effort on Apple Watch over a decade ago and architected the company’s health strategy, helping customers live healthier lives, learn more about their health, and receive lifesaving care.
Apple left no doubt about who will oversee design next year with Cook taking over, but who then oversees Apple Watch and Health initiatives? Williams moving out of the COO role this month but keeping Apple Watch and Health oversight implies that Khan isn’t inheriting those responsibilities. Apple also didn’t say that Apple Watch and Health would go to Khan or Cook after Williams exits at the end of 2025.
Leadership changes reflect Ternus’s growing product responsibilities
Perhaps those answers are to be determined at a future date, but Mark Gurman at Bloomberg shares a tidbit on X that probably solves the press release puzzle. According to Gurman, Apple Watch hardware has been under John Ternus, Apple’s SVP of Hardware Engineering.
Ternus took over for Dan Riccio in 2021 and has since been described as a likely successor to Tim Cook. Cook is nearing 14 years in the role and shows no signs of stepping down in the next 12 months.
Gurman’s reporting that Apple Watch hardware was “given to Ternus years ago” gives Ternus even more credibility as a so-called product person. His leadership page bio, which was written in 2021, doesn’t mention Apple Watch, although one could infer Apple Watch is included under ‘and more,’ even though it is not explicitly listed. It says Ternus “leads all hardware engineering, including the teams behind iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, and more.”
Gurman speculates that Craig Federighi will inherit watchOS and Health, while Fitness+ will shift to Services. Apple Watch originally shipped under the leadership of Kevin Lynch, who reported to Williams. Lynch now runs Apple’s robotics division that reports to the aforementioned John Ternus after a brief stint leading Apple’s unshipped car project.
