Apple Inc., long regarded as one of Silicon Valley’s most stable companies, is suddenly experiencing one of the largest waves of executive departures in its recent history. Several senior leaders and critical engineers have resigned in the span of just a week, marking a rare period of turbulence under CEO Tim Cook.
In recent days, Apple has lost its head of artificial intelligence, its chief of interface design, as well as its general counsel and head of government affairs — all of whom reported directly to Cook. The mass departures signal an unusual level of turnover inside Apple’s upper ranks.
A Bloomberg report suggests that even more exits could follow. Johny Srouji, Apple’s highly respected senior vice president of hardware technologies and the architect behind the company’s custom silicon chips, has notified Cook that he is seriously contemplating leaving. Srouji has reportedly told colleagues he may join another company if he ultimately resigns.
AI Talent Drain Intensifies Pressure
Apple’s struggle to retain AI talent has become increasingly visible. Rivals such as Meta, OpenAI, and several fast-growing startups have aggressively poached Apple engineers, weakening the company’s ability to compete in next-generation AI development.
Internally, this talent erosion has created significant anxiety. While Apple claims it is building its “most innovative product roadmap ever,” including foldable devices, smart glasses, and robotics, it has not successfully launched a new product category in over a decade — making it vulnerable to faster-moving competitors.
One of the most high-profile exits is John Giannandrea, Apple’s AI chief. His departure follows repeated setbacks in the firm’s generative AI initiatives, including delays in the Apple Intelligence platform and a lagging overhaul of Siri — now nearly 18 months behind schedule. The company has also leaned heavily on Google’s Gemini models to compensate for capability gaps.
Design, Legal, and Policy Leaders Depart
Design chief Alan Dye has left Apple to join Meta’s Reality Labs, a rare move to a direct rival. In an unexpected twist, Apple then recruited Meta’s Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead to serve as its new general counsel, replacing Kate Adams, who will retire in 2026.
Meanwhile, Lisa Jackson, Apple’s longtime environmental and public policy leader, is also retiring, with her responsibilities now redistributed among other executives.
These departures follow the retirement of COO Jeff Williams, Cook’s long-time second-in-command, and CFO Luca Maestri scaling back his responsibilities in preparation for his eventual retirement.
Succession Pressure Builds Around Tim Cook
Tim Cook, who turned 65 last month, remains active, though internal discussions about succession have intensified. John Ternus, the company’s hardware engineering chief, is widely seen as the leading candidate for the CEO role. If Ternus were promoted, insiders speculate that Apple might elevate Srouji to a powerful Chief Technology Officer role to retain him — though this remains uncertain.
Cook himself is expected to eventually transition into a chairman position rather than stepping away entirely.
Engineering Teams See Heavy Attrition
Apple’s AI and software divisions have faced a significant exodus:
- AI models chief Ruoming Pang and several top researchers left for Meta.
- Siri engineering head Robby Walker and his short-lived successor Ke Yang also departed, with Yang joining Meta’s Superintelligence Labs.
- Robotics and software teams have lost leaders including Jian Zhang.
- Dozens more engineers have joined Meta and OpenAI.
Apple’s interface and hardware design organizations have also been depleted. Many designers left after Jony Ive’s exit, some joining Ive’s firm LoveFrom or moving to OpenAI.
Apple has appointed Stephen Lemay to replace Dye, with Cook personally taking a more hands-on role in design oversight.
OpenAI and Meta Become Major Talent Destinations
OpenAI, in particular, has absorbed a significant number of Apple engineers. The company is reportedly hiring Cheng Chen, Apple’s senior director of display technologies who oversaw optical components of the Vision Pro headset. Earlier, Apple’s hardware executive Tang Tan joined OpenAI as well.
Even promising young Apple leaders, such as Abidur Chowdhury, who narrated the iPhone Air launch, have left for AI startups.
The internal leadership academy, Apple University, has also been impacted, with Dean Richard Locke leaving to head the MIT business school.
A Transformational — and Risky — Moment for Apple
This sustained pattern of departures has reshaped Apple’s leadership landscape. More decision-making power is now concentrated among four senior executives:
John Ternus, Eddy Cue, Craig Federighi, and COO Sabih Khan.
Federighi has increasingly become Apple’s de facto AI leader, and Ternus is set to play a key public role in Apple’s 50th anniversary next year.
Despite the turmoil, employees remain cautiously optimistic about new internal leaders — but many acknowledge that Apple must urgently stabilize its teams and regain its momentum in the AI race.
