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These leadership changes smell of the negative impact that AI has had on this company…without the introduction of AI, I’m sure these kinds of major leadership changes wouldn’t be happening right now…
AI can be nice, but the world keeps going. Apple keeps reporting record Q1s, their executives retire when they reach their late 60s… nothing new.
 
These leadership changes smell of the negative impact that AI has had on this company…without the introduction of AI, I’m sure these kinds of major leadership changes wouldn’t be happening right now…

Nope... Williams is 62 years old. And wants to spend more time with his family. Simple. You may not realize e some people want to do that and retire.

No need to leap to something nefarious.
 
This is the heartfelt message we should’ve had but never got:

Jeff and I have worked alongside each other for as long as I can remember, and Apple wouldn’t be what it is without him. He’s built one of the most respected global supply chains in the world, launched Apple Watch and overseen its evolution, shaped Apple’s health strategy, and led our world-class team of designers with remarkable wisdom, heart, and dedication. As I prepare to step away from Apple, I am and will always be beyond grateful for Jeff’s countless contributions and his steadfast friendship. His true legacy shines in the extraordinary team he’s cultivated, and while I’ll be deeply missed, I’m confident that Apple’s future is in incredible hands with Jeff and the team leading the way.
 
Yeah, but why announce it randomly on a Tuesday in July in 2025?

He could’ve easily announced it when Apple was coasting prior to the pandemic…

Why? So the infinite-anxiety crowd on MacRumors wouldn't fly off the handle?

Here's to all of us retiring whenever the hell we want on our own schedule and our own terms, whether COO for a trillion dollar company or bagger at the local grocery store.
 
Since being promoted to COO in 2015, Williams has overseen Apple's entire worldwide operations, as well as customer service and support. He has also led Apple Watch engineering and health initiatives, and he took over Apple's design team in 2023.
Grandmaster level workaholic!
 
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What other tech company has released exciting/major/innovative products or upgrades in the last 5-10 years, besides OpenAI?
TensorFlow, Kubernetes, Nvidia GPU's, OLED/WOLED, S3 containerization advancement, 3D CPU/memory architecture, next gen DWDM, 1,000 more things in virtualization, etc. etc. Many companies released a car, a functional digital assistant, an advanced television and lot's of other stuff, heh heh.
 
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Apple has had the best operations people in the business since the iPhone came out.... well, scratch that, they had the best LOGISTICS people in the business since the iPhone came out.

But since Jobs died, there is no one in the company running around driving any real innovation. The saving grace has been that no other tech company does either, but people expect more from Apple. They need a benevolent dictator running around telling people they suck or they are great and get new products and applications in place. Phones are pretty much maxed out for function, and embedded technologies are likely the next frontier with AI as the governing tech behind it, and by all accounts Apple blew their development, though none of is know why.

The book Apple in China was really, really interesting. While it focused on Apple, it showed how the US and all tech companies were totally played by Xi and the Chinese. China now no longer needs us - we handed them tech and processes that let them skip 20 years of R&D, all at the companies' and Americans' expense.

I think shedding these strata of execs are a reflection of that... but I also do not see any actual creative force in the company. I've been a stockholder for 20+ years and I am wondering if it is time to start phasing out.
 
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