Apple faces tumult with unprecedented executive exodus

Apple Inc., long a model of stability in Silicon Valley, is undergoing its biggest personnel shakeup in decades, with senior executives and key engineers hitting the exits.

- BY MARK GURMAN

In just the last week, Apple's heads of artificial intelligence and interface design have stepped down. Then the company announced that its general counsel and head of governmental affairs were leaving as well. All four executives have reported directly to Chief Executive Tim Cook, marking an exceptional level of turnover in Apple's C-suite.

And more changes are probably coming. Johny Srouji — senior vice president of hardware technologies and one of Apple’s most respected executives — recently told Cook that he is seriously considering leaving in the near future, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Srouji, the architect of Apple’s prized in-house chips effort, has informed colleagues that he intends to join another company if he ultimately departs.

At the same time, AI talent has been fleeing for tech rivals — with Meta Platforms Inc., OpenAI and a variety of startups poaching many of Apple’s engineers. That threatens to hamper the company’s efforts to catch up in artificial intelligence, an area where it’s struggled to make a mark.

It all adds up to one of the most tumultuous stretches of Cook’s tenure. Though the CEO is unlikely to leave imminently, the company has to rebuild its ranks and figure out how to thrive in the AI era.

Within the company, some of the departures are cause for deep concern — with Cook looking to stave off more with stronger compensation packages for key talent. In other cases, the exits just reflect the fact that veteran executives are nearing retirement age. Still, many of the shifts constitute a disconcerting brain drain.