The potential departure of Apple Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL) top chip executive is intensifying concerns about the company's leadership stability as it faces growing pressure to accelerate its artificial intelligence ambitions.
Apple Chip Chief Exit Rumours Intensify
On Saturday, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, told CEO Tim Cook he is "seriously considering" leaving the company in the near future.
Gurman also said Srouji had been "evaluating his future" at Apple for months, though no final decision has been announced, reported The Verge.
Executive Shakeups Fuel AI Worries
The report comes amid a wave of executive changes at the iPhone maker.
Chief operating officer Jeff Williams recently announced his retirement, while AI chief John Giannandrea stepped down from his role.
Policy leader Lisa Jackson and general counsel Kate Adams have also announced plans to retire.
Design executive Alan Dye has reportedly left for Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META).
Industry analysts say the potential loss of Srouji would be particularly significant because he has overseen the development of Apple's custom silicon, including the chips that power iPhones, iPads and Macs.
Apple CEO Succession And AI Strategy In Focus
Last month, Apple reportedly ramped up preparations for a leadership transition, as the board and senior executives discussed a successor to Cook, who had led the company since 2011.
Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus was widely viewed as the most likely candidate, having earned strong support across Apple's leadership.
Investor Ross Gerber called for new leadership and a strategic partnership with Google AI, suggesting that replacing Siri with Google's Gemini AI could reshape Apple's future.
Gerber praised Cook's tenure but emphasized that change was necessary for Apple to remain competitive in the evolving tech landscape.
Read Next:
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: jamesteohart via Shutterstock
