December 8, 2025, 4:02 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Rumors are currently swirling about a possible departure of longtime Apple CEO Tim Cook. Under his leadership, the company was marked by remarkable stability–but this now seems to be slipping away from Apple’s management. In recent days and weeks, an unusually high number of senior employees have left the company. For the success-spoiled Californians, this could become a real problem, especially as the competition is increasingly aggressive in poaching talent.
Shake-up in the Leadership Ranks
Just last week, Apple announced that AI chief John Giannandrea, UI design head Alan Dye, chief legal officer Kate Adams, and head of government affairs Lisa Jackson are leaving the company. All four are high-ranking and long-serving Apple employees who report directly to CEO Tim Cook.
As Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter, Johny Srouji, senior vice president for hardware technology, is also considering leaving. Internally, he has indicated that he would want to move to another company if he departs. Srouji is a driving force behind Apple’s highly successful chip strategy and has been instrumental in developing iPhone and Mac processors. Cook is reportedly lobbying hard for Srouji and is considering creating a new position that would unite hardware and chip development under one roof. According to “CNBC,” Srouji has since denied Bloomberg’s report, stating that he will not leave the company.
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The top leaders have been with the company for decades and are gradually reaching retirement age. In July 2025, COO and Cook’s deputy Jeff Williams stepped down, and now Jackson, Adams, and Giannandrea are following him into retirement. According to Bloomberg, CFO Luca Maestri is also close to leaving Apple. Maestri has already taken on a reduced role in the company since early 2025.
Despite being 65 years old, CEO Tim Cook is expected to remain in office for the time being. Hardware chief John Ternus is considered the favorite to succeed him and could become CEO if Cook transitions to the board. According to Bloomberg, power structures within the company are already shifting: Ternus, Eddy Cue, Craig Federighi, and new COO Sabih Khan are increasingly shaping key decisions.
Many Are Going to the Competition
Part of the problem is massive poaching strategies at Meta, OpenAI, and other tech firms, which lure employees with huge salaries. The departure of interface design chief Alan Dye to archrival Meta is a significant loss for the company. Dye had been with Apple for nearly 20 years and was part of the top leadership.
Apple has faced issues with its AI suite, Apple Intelligence, which in many cases is less powerful and relevant than the competition. Internally, the reliance on tools from competitors like Google and OpenAI has been criticized. Despite several years as the leading AI strategist, John Giannandrea could not correct the course and develop proprietary, market-ready solutions. Giannandrea will step down from his leadership role in 2026, and Apple’s software chief Craig Federighi has now taken over AI development.
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Meanwhile, more employees are leaving the company at lower management levels–especially from the AI teams. Siri manager Robby Walker left in October, and shortly thereafter, his successor Ke Yang moved to Meta. The head of AI models also went to Meta with other employees, as did the head of the AI robotics team.
The UI design team has also significantly shrunk since 2023–Dye’s departure marks only the preliminary low point. Additionally, Billy Sorrentino and numerous former employees of Jony Ive have left the company. Ive is now working with OpenAI on AI devices that could become real competition for the iPhone in the future.