With the increasing hints of Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, retiring, Sabih Khan name is appearing frequently in discussions as the potential successor. Apple Inc., globally popular for its smartphones and other consumer electronics, could be moving towards new leadership, but Khan may or may not be the next CEO.
Who Is Sabih Khan?
According to the Apple Leadership page, Sabih Khan is Apple’s chief operating officer, reporting to CEO Tim Cook. His role puts him in charge of Apple’s worldwide operations, environmental and social initiatives, as well as AppleCare customer service and support.
His journey with Apple began in 1995, and he kept climbing ranks with time. Back in July 2025, he gained the COO position as the successor of Jeff William. Currently, he is responsible for multiple functions of Apple.
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Interestingly, Khan was born in 1966 in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, and later moved to Singapore with his family. Sources like Wikipedia reveal that he went to the U.S. for higher education. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).
Talking of his breakthroughs, he became the Senior Vice President of Operations in 2019 at Apple and played a major role in supply-chain management during the pandemic era. Now, he could be Apple’s next CEO based on office hierarchy.
Will Sabih Khan Replace Tim Cook as Apple’s Next CEO?
Considering Khan’s experience and the office hierarchy, experts believe he can take charge as the interim CEO at Apple. More importantly, he is directly under Tim Cook and has built a reputation based on experience and capabilities.
However, the reported requirements for the Apple CEO profile don’t accurately fit with Sabih Khan, as they are looking for a younger profile and public face. More importantly, someone to be dubbed a product visionary.
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Age is an important factor here since Khan is just a few years younger than Cook, which suggests that he may not be seen as an ideal choice for a long-term role.
Based on these requirements, John Ternus is expected to replace Tim Cook as the CEO of Apple. Khan may become an interim CEO, as Cook did for Steve Jobs, before someone else full-time takes over.