Apple has announced a series of executive shifts as it enters a new leadership era. Tim Cook, the current CEO of Apple, is set to step down in September, with John Ternus succeeding him. Alongside this significant change, Johny Srouji has been appointed as Chief Hardware Officer (CHO), overseeing Apple’s entire hardware engineering division, which includes silicon, iPhone, Mac, and future device developments.
Srouji, who previously held the position of Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies at Apple, will assume this expanded role “effective immediately.” Joining Apple in 2008, he has led crucial advancements, including the development of custom chips starting from the A4, in addition to several hardware technologies such as Apple silicon, batteries, cameras, storage controllers, sensors, displays, and cellular modems across the entire product line.
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Tim Cook stated that Srouji has played a vital role in shaping Apple’s silicon strategy, with his impact resonating deeply within the company and throughout the industry. Cook emphasised Srouji’s exceptional leadership abilities and consistently innovative contributions, noting that Apple is fortunate to have him step into the role of Chief Hardware Officer.
Apple’s five-way hardware split
With Srouji’s new appointment, Apple has unified its hardware engineering and hardware technologies divisions, creating a single organisation. As reported by 9To5Mac, Srouji circulated an internal email to employees announcing this transition.
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Srouji expressed excitement about bringing these teams together for further integration and innovation beyond their existing capabilities. Moreover, the newly formed division will be structured into five distinct teams, including hardware engineering, silicon, advanced technologies, platform architecture, and project management. Each of these teams will be led by the following executives:
Hardware engineering: Directed by Tom Marieb, concentrating on the development of physical devices such as iPhone and Mac.
Silicon: Managed by Sri Santhanam, focusing on Apple’s custom chip designs.
Advanced technologies: Led by Zongjian Chen, dedicated to future and experimental technologies.
Platform architecture: Guided by Tim Millet, ensuring cohesive design of hardware and software systems.
Project management: Overseen by Donny Nordhues, responsible for the timely and efficient execution of projects.