Earlier this year, rumors circulated that Mark Rogers, a long-serving senior vice president with 27 years at Apple, would "exit and venture elsewhere." Now, another key executive is bidding farewell to the tech giant.

Apple has officially announced that its Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jeff Williams, will step down this month. Taking his place will be Sabin Khan, a 30-year veteran of the industry.

Khan began his career as an engineer and technical director at GE Plastics. After joining Apple in 1995, he excelled in the supply chain team, pioneering advanced manufacturing technologies and helping Apple reduce its carbon footprint by an impressive 60%.

(Intriguingly, could he be the mind behind the decision to exclude chargers from new iPhones?)

So, why this sudden departure for the "number two" at Apple? Tim Cook explained that Williams, now 62, plans to retire at the end of this year, prompting Khan to step in early for a smooth transition.

Until his official retirement, Williams will continue to lead the Apple Watch product line and oversee the entire design team.

Public records reveal that Williams and Cook share a strikingly similar career path. Both are alumni of Duke University and have extensive experience in supply chain management. They not only worked together at IBM but also joined Apple in the same year.

Image source: Apple event

Given their parallel resumes and leadership styles, Fortune magazine dubbed Williams as "Cook's Cook." When this supply chain expert took charge of Apple's design team, many media outlets speculated him as a potential successor to Cook.

However, before Cook hands over the "reins," Williams has opted for an early exit. Who will emerge as Apple's next likely "heir apparent"? Could it be hardware executive John Ternus, as hinted by renowned tech leaker Mark Gurman? Only time will tell.