[News] Apple Reportedly May Lose Custom Silicon Chief Johny Srouji Amid Executive Exodus

Apple is experiencing a wave of senior executive departures, with several high-ranking leaders already gone and more key exits reportedly on the horizon. According to Tom’s Hardware, citing Bloomberg, sources say Johny Srouji—the executive responsible for developing chips powering Apple’s iPhones, Macs, and Watches—is considering leaving the company.

Tom’s Hardware notes that as Apple’s custom silicon chief, Srouji oversees at least four mission-critical domains: CPU/GPU microarchitecture, potentially NPU accelerator design, 5G modem development, and packaging and integration strategy, as well as leading foundry negotiations with TSMC.

Bloomberg notes that Cook has been working aggressively to keep Srouji at Apple, with one option under consideration reportedly being a promotion to chief technology officer. Such a role, spanning broad oversight of hardware engineering and silicon technologies, would effectively make Srouji the company’s second-most-powerful executive.

Apple Confronts Turbulence Across AI and Design Leadership

Beyond Srouji’s potential departure, Bloomberg notes that Apple’s heads of AI and interface design have also stepped down. In addition, the company announced that its general counsel and head of governmental affairs were leaving as well. All four executives have directly to Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, the report adds.

As Bloomberg indicates, Apple’s AI chief John Giannandrea is leaving the company following a series of missteps in generative AI. Bloomberg reports that Apple began phasing Giannandrea out of his role in March, though he will remain at the company until next spring.

To help fill the leadership gap, Apple has hired Amar Subramanya, a former Google and Microsoft executive, as vice president of AI. However, Apple’s AI organization has been hit by broader disruptions, spurred by the exit of Ruoming Pang, the head of AI models. Pang — along with colleagues Tom Gunter and Frank Chu — left for Meta. The report adds that Apple’s AI robotics software team has also seen significant turnover, with its leader, Jian Zhang, likewise moving to Meta.

Aside from the leadership shakeup in its AI team, Bloomberg notes that longtime interface design leader Alan Dye is leaving Apple to join Meta’s Reality Labs unit — a striking defection to one of the company’s biggest rivals. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that Dye will lead a new creative studio bringing together design, fashion, and technology, according to CNBC.

Jeff Williams Retires, Marking the Exit of Apple’s No. 2 Executive

These exits follow an even more consequential departure. According to Bloomberg, Jeff Williams — Cook’s longtime No. 2 — retired last month after serving a decade as chief operating officer. MacRumors notes that Williams was one of Apple’s most influential executives and was, at one point, considered a potential candidate for CEO, making his retirement particularly noteworthy.

As for Cook himself, Bloomberg notes that although he’s not expected to leave anytime soon, succession planning has been underway for years. Employees view John Ternus, Apple’s 50-year-old hardware engineering chief, as the leading candidate for the CEO role, the report adds.

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