In a significant corporate reshuffle, tech giant Apple is restructuring its top leadership following the impending departure of its long-serving Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Williams. The changes, reported by Bloomberg, signal a strategic consolidation of the company's health, fitness, and software divisions as it prepares to push deeper into the AI-powered wellness market.
New Command for Health and Fitness Ambitions
The most notable shift sees Apple's services chief, Eddy Cue, taking direct control of the company's health and fitness operations. Under this new structure, the health and fitness groups, which were previously managed separately by Sumbul Desai and Jay Blahnik, will now merge and consolidate under the leadership of Sumbul Desai. Eddy Cue will act as her direct supervisor.
This consolidation is not merely administrative. It comes as Apple is actively developing a major new subscription service called Health+, slated for a 2026 launch. This service is expected to leverage artificial intelligence to provide users with personalised wellness recommendations covering nutrition, exercise, and sleep management. The move underscores Apple's ambition to transform its wellness initiatives from features into a substantial, recurring revenue stream, building on the foundation of its existing Fitness+ subscription service launched in 2020.
Software and Hardware Leadership Expand Their Roles
The restructuring also involves key expansions for other top executives. Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering, is adding oversight of the watchOS operating system to his already substantial portfolio, which includes iOS, macOS, and the visionOS for the Vision Pro headset. This marks his second major responsibility expansion this year.
On the hardware side, John Ternus, Apple's head of Hardware Engineering, is gaining full authority over Apple Watch engineering. The Apple Watch is a product that the outgoing COO, Jeff Williams, was instrumental in launching nearly a decade ago. Bloomberg's report highlights that John Ternus, aged 50, is widely seen within the company as a potential successor to CEO Tim Cook, who will turn 65 next year.
Williams' Exit and the Road Ahead
These sweeping changes are triggered by the retirement announcement of Jeff Williams, who is concluding his tenure of almost ten years as Apple's COO. His departure creates a ripple effect, prompting a realignment of duties at the highest level.
Further executive transitions appear to be on the horizon. The company is reportedly seeking a replacement for its AI chief, John Giannandrea. Meanwhile, other senior leaders, including environment head Lisa Jackson and chip division leader Johny Srouji, are said to be evaluating their future roles at the Cupertino-based technology behemoth.
The reorganisation clearly positions Apple to double down on integrating health, AI, and its ecosystem of devices. By merging key teams and placing them under seasoned leaders like Eddy Cue, Apple is streamlining its command structure to aggressively pursue the next phase of growth in the personal wellness and artificial intelligence space.
