Apple on Tuesday said Senior Vice President of Operations Sabih Khan will become chief operating officer later this month, succeeding Jeff Williams in a transition the company described as long-planned. Khan, 59, has spent nearly three decades at the iPhone maker, helping build the global supply chain and spearheading efforts that Apple says reduced its carbon footprint by more than 60%. Williams, 62, will stay on through the end of the year, continuing to oversee Apple’s design organization, Apple Watch and health initiatives while reporting to Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook. Once Williams retires, the design team will shift to reporting directly to Cook, formalizing a structure put in place after the departure of design chief Evans Hankey in 2023. The reshuffle removes a long-time lieutenant often viewed as Cook’s potential successor and positions Khan as the highest-ranking operations executive at the world’s most valuable company. It also marks Apple’s most significant leadership change since the exits of key designers and hardware chiefs in recent years, as the company navigates supply-chain pressures and prepares new product lines.