Indian-Origin Sabih Khan Becomes COO of Apple
Sabih Khan has today become the magical name that everyone is talking about—a private CEO whose journey started in Moradabad, India. He is a multidimensional leader when it comes to the logistics and operations of Apple Inc. In July 2025, Sabih was announced as the new chief operating officer, succeeding the famous Jeff Williams. His almost 30-year journey at Apple led him to various sectors, which indeed made him who he is today. He started with Apple when Apple hadn’t even launched the iPod and was not what it is today. He had been one of the men working behind the scenes, ensuring the success of the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, iPod, iWatch, etc.
Sabih Khan The New COO of Apple
Early Life and Background
Sabih was born in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, in 1966. He belongs to a family that valued discipline, education, and hard work. His father, Saeed Ullah Khan, was a skilled engineer who was a respectable family man. His father’s values of integrity, responsibility, and respect molded the young Sabih’s mind towards ethically approaching everything. By the age of 10, his family relocated to Singapore for a better opportunity. Here, he was open to a new culture, experience, language, and education system. He integrated himself into the cosmopolitan environment of Singapore. The transition helped him to foster the agility to adopt and navigate various operations.
His early schooling in India was at Saint Mary School in Muradabad, and later on, he studied in a school in Singapore. Eventually, he boarded a train to the country of dreams, America.
American Dream
For his higher education, Khan moved to the US. His life in America was daunting and exhilarating. America opened him up to new opportunities and experiences. He became a student who was interested in the technical know-how as well as the ethical environment of the technology.
He attended Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, for his BA in economics, which is a research-driven program. He had not just won a bachelor’s degree, but he pursued his mechanical engineering again from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. It was an unusual but extremely effective combination. It helped him to understand the right amalgamation of technology with supply chain economics.
To further his interest in engineering, he pursued his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. It is one of the most prestigious institutes for engineering. Here, Sabih developed a mind towards problem-solving and a vision that was more technical in nature. His education provided him with the right tool to solve various analytical and complex industrial problems.
Career
Before his almost three-decade journey with Apple, he was a part of GE Plastics, which later became a part of SABIC. He started as an application development engineer and then acquired the title of key account technical leader. At GE Plastics, he learned a lot of skills, like customizing solutions, understanding the complex supply chain, managing client relationships, understanding the integrity and details of technology, troubleshooting issues, and understanding the manufacturing in an industry. All these would later help him in becoming the man working behind the scenes, contributing towards the growth of Apple. Due to his strong values and professional ethos, he is known as a man for his willingness to adopt a new thinking approach and a man who likes to keep a low profile and deliver results, which are highly impactful.
Journey to Apple
Sabih joined Apple in 1995. He was a part of the procurement division when Apple was years away from launching its massive hits like the iPod, iPad, iPhone, earphones, etc. His initial goal was towards creating a solid supply network and managing the procurement division. His idea was to optimize the cost of the hardware production.
In the early days with Apple, he was the emperor with responsibilities for creating new sourcing strategies for important component building and a strong relationship with suppliers to ensure that supply remains unaffected. He was also responsible for identifying methods to minimize the risk in the supply chain.
Khan’s effectiveness in procurement, planning, logistics, and manufacturing placed him as a man capable of taking care of more complex assignments. He was one of the men who was actively part of various major Apple product launches like the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. In the year 2019, he was promoted to senior vice president of operations and was now directly reporting to COO Jeff Williams.
He became a shining leader due to his role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership, he was able to maintain the product delivery even in the global manufacturing and logistic shortage. He focused on providing better worker safety that would align with public health guidance. Khan also managed to keep Apple ahead in its logistics game due to his quick-growing coordination amongst various supply networks.
He emphasized ethical labor practices and led the initiative that is responsible for the reduction of Apple’s carbon footprint by 60%. He focused on innovation in green manufacturing and sourcing. Also, he ensured Apple manufacturing expansion in all the strategic regions to ensure constant growth.
Other
His leadership philosophy is one of a kind. He believes in maintaining a low public profile and humility. He stays away from the spotlight. He is one of the system thinkers who ensures the smooth working of the supply chain of Apple. Khan closely ensures the well-being of frontline employees as well as empowers his team, ensuring they feel valued.
Sabih is a family man who has three children. He is one of the most family-oriented men, even with his busy schedule. He makes sure to keep his private life away from the media. He is an Indian away from India who loves his curries and biryani. After the retirement of Jeff Williams, Khan, in July 2025, was appointed the new COO. He is now among the league of Indian-origin global tech leaders like Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai, who are the names that motivate millions.
