Cupertino, California, Feb 6, 2026, 01:56 PST
- Cook told employees he is “obsessed” with who will lead Apple 15 years from now
- CEO promised “some celebration” for Apple’s 50th anniversary on April 1
- Cook said recent executive departures were planned and “not surprises”
Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees he is “obsessed” with who will be in the room 15 years from now, as he faced questions about succession at an internal all-hands meeting — a company-wide forum where staff can press leaders on sensitive topics. Cook also said recent executive departures were long planned and “not surprises,” according to the report. (9to5Mac)
The comments come as Apple approaches its 50th anniversary on April 1. Cook told employees he has been “unusually reflective” and promised “some celebration,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported, a rare glimpse of how the company is thinking about the milestone. (MacRumors)
Why it matters now is the bench. Apple said in December that longtime general counsel Kate Adams will retire late next year and that Jennifer Newstead, Meta’s chief legal officer, will join Apple and take over as general counsel on March 1, 2026. The company also said environment and policy chief Lisa Jackson would retire in late January, with her teams shifting under chief operating officer Sabih Khan. (Apple)
Cook, 65, framed succession as routine planning rather than a countdown, according to AppleInsider, and pointed to the need for continuity as leaders cycle out. The publication said hardware engineering chief John Ternus is viewed by some as a leading internal candidate to eventually replace Cook, though Cook did not name a successor. (AppleInsider)
Some of the turnover is already formalized in Apple filings and releases, including in its AI ranks. Apple said in December that John Giannandrea, its senior vice president for Machine Learning and AI Strategy, is stepping down and will serve as an adviser before retiring in spring 2026, while AI researcher Amar Subramanya joined as vice president of AI reporting to software chief Craig Federighi. (Apple)
Design has been another pressure point in the executive shuffle. Bloomberg reported in December that Apple’s user interface design chief Alan Dye is leaving to join Meta as chief design officer, with veteran designer Stephen Lemay set to replace him, MacRumors reported. (MacRumors)
Cook also used the employee meeting to hit at U.S. immigration policy, calling himself “deeply distraught” with the government’s current approach and pledging to press lawmakers, the Bloomberg report said. He told employees Apple is “a smarter, wiser, more innovative company” because it draws talent from around the world and has staff across the U.S. on visas; he also reiterated support for DACA — a U.S. program that shields some people brought to the country as children from deportation. (MacRumors)
Jeff Williams, one of Cook’s closest lieutenants, began stepping back last year. Apple said in July 2025 that Williams would hand the chief operating officer role to operations head Sabih Khan as part of a long-planned succession, and that the design team would later report directly to Cook after Williams retired. (Apple)
But Cook offered no timetable for his own future in the meeting, and he did not pick out a successor. The bigger uncertainty is whether Apple’s next phase looks like a smooth relay, or a harder reset, as veteran executives head for the exits.
The remarks have started to travel beyond the United States. South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo said Cook had signaled he is preparing for long-term retirement, citing Bloomberg and other foreign reports. (조선일보)
Apple has not laid out plans for its 50th birthday beyond Cook’s promise of a celebration. For now, the company’s clearest signal is internal: succession is being talked about, even if the calendar stays blank.
