Who is Sabih Khan, Apple’s new COO with Indian roots?

Apple has named Sabih Khan as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), taking over from Jeff Williams, as part of a ‘long-planned succession,’ the tech giant said in a statement on July 8.

Khan, 58, has been with Apple for 30 years and is currently the senior vice president of operations in the company. In the present role, Khan oversees the company’s global supply chain, supplier responsibility programmes, and operations teams.

“Apple today announced Jeff Williams will transition his role as chief operating officer later this month to Sabih Khan, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations, as part of a long-planned succession,” the Apple statement read. 

The iPhone maker said that Khan will take on the new role later this month. Before joining Apple’s procurement group in 1995, Khan worked as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader at GE Plastics.

Williams will continue to report to CEO Tim Cook and oversee the company’s design team and Apple Watch, the company said. “Apple’s design team will then transition to reporting directly to Cook after Williams retires late in the year,” read the statement. 

Who is Sabih Khan?

Khan was born in 1966 in Moradabad, Western Uttar Pradesh. When he was in school, his family moved to Singapore. Years later, the family relocated to the United States.

Khan earned a dual bachelor’s degree in economics and mechanical engineering from Tufts University and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York, the Apple website said. 

Khan joined Apple’s procurement team in 1995 after working at GE Plastics as an applications development engineer. Khan played a crucial role in delivering Apple’s most innovative products to market and shaping the company’s global operational strategy, according to Apple website.

On June 27, 2019, Khan was named senior vice president of operations, reporting to Jeff Williams. In his role at Apple, Khan’s operations department has been responsible for establishing partnerships with green manufacturing suppliers and for changing suppliers’ operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What Tim Cook said about Khan?

In his welcome statement, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook praised Khan as a key architect of Apple’s supply chain. Cook also highlighted his role in driving advanced manufacturing technologies and expanding US manufacturing.

Cook said Khan’s leadership in environmental sustainability has contributed to a more than 60 per cent reduction in Apple’s carbon footprint.

“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,” Cook said.

“Above all, Sabih leads with his heart and his values, and I know he will make an exceptional chief operating officer,” the Apple CEO said.