Apple's hardware chief Johny Srouji is seriously considering leaving the company, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, marking another potential blow to a leadership team already hemorrhaging talent. The departure would strip Apple of the architect behind its M-series chips just as the company scrambles to catch up in AI.
Apple is facing an unprecedented leadership crisis that's shaking the foundations of what's long been Silicon Valley's most stable company. Johny Srouji, the senior vice president who masterminded Apple's revolutionary M-series processors, has told CEO Tim Cook he's 'seriously considering' departing for another company, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The potential loss of Srouji would be catastrophic for Apple. He's the man behind the M1, M2, M3, and M4 chips that transformed MacBooks from Intel-dependent machines into performance powerhouses. His departure would come at the worst possible time - just as Apple desperately needs custom silicon to power its AI ambitions and compete with Nvidia's dominance in AI chips.
This isn't happening in isolation. December has been brutal for Apple's executive ranks. AI chief John Giannandrea stepped down earlier this week, followed by policy lead Lisa Jackson and general counsel Kate Adams announcing retirement plans. UI design lead Alan Dye shocked the industry by jumping to Meta, taking decades of design expertise with him.
The exodus started in July when COO Jeff Williams announced his retirement, triggering a cascade of role shifts that apparently unsettled more executives than initially realized. Sources close to the situation suggest the departures reflect deeper concerns about Apple's direction in the AI era.
Apple has undeniably struggled to find its footing as competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft race ahead with large language models and AI assistants. While finally launched Apple Intelligence this fall, the rollout has been sluggish compared to the rapid-fire innovations from rivals.