Apple in turmoil: the reasons behind the gradual exodus of its executive managers

For several months, Apple, the technology giant globally recognized for its stability and innovative capacity, has been facing a crisis that freezes the sector: a massive and progressive exodus of its senior executives. From strategic leadership to human resources management, including the most sensitive departments of artificial intelligence and design, key talents are gradually leaving Cupertino, thus revealing the weaknesses of a company until now perceived as almost unshakable. What are the deep reasons behind this turmoil and what does this brain drain mean for Apple’s future?

The series of departures of prominent leaders such as John Giannandrea, the flagship figure of Apple’s artificial intelligence, as well as Kate Adams and Lisa Jackson, pillars of government relations and environmental governance, illustrate a multifaceted crisis intertwining technological failures, internal frustrations, and unprecedented competitive pressures. While giants like Meta Platforms or OpenAI succeed in attracting the best experts by offering dazzling financial conditions, Cupertino must both manage the loss of key skills and reorganize its internal strategy in a context marked by profound doubts about its governance.

Exodus of Apple’s senior executives: an unprecedented disruption in company management

Apple has long been synonymous with stability, both in terms of its management and overall strategy, ensuring consolidated leadership and an inspiring corporate culture for its employees. However, since the beginning of 2025, this image has gradually eroded, unlocking a crisis manifested by the progressive but noticeable exodus of its senior executives. This phenomenon is all the more worrying because it affects emblematic figures who helped forge Apple’s reputation in crucial areas.

Let’s analyze together the different dimensions of this talent drain and what it means within the framework of strategic management and human resources at Apple:

• Internal pressures linked to disappointing technological performance: Difficulties encountered by the artificial intelligence project and the failure of the notification summaries launch have created palpable tensions among management teams.
• Frenzied competition and talent war: Apple is now in direct competition with players like Meta Platforms and OpenAI, capable of attracting the best brains through very attractive financial offers.
• Doubts about governance and succession prospects: The departure of experienced executives raises questions about future leadership, particularly regarding the uncertainty around Tim Cook’s succession.
• Organizational changes and strategic reassignments: The progressive shift of responsibilities at Apple illustrates an internal reshuffle where several key positions are in transition, causing a feeling of instability.

This climate of uncertainty is not limited to a simple temporary phenomenon. It structurally affects how Apple must now approach the management of its human capital and reinvent its strategic vision to remain competitive in an increasingly aggressive digital world.

Factor	Impact on Apple	Possible consequences
Technological failures (AI and products)	Decreased internal confidence among executives	Departures and decreased team motivation
High competitive offers	Loss of key talents	Weakening of strategic positioning
Decline in governance	Volatility in leadership	Risk of overall management instability
Internal reorganization	General feeling of uncertainty	Increased risks of strategic errors

Technical difficulties at the heart of the executives’ exodus: the failure of artificial intelligence projects

At the center of this turmoil, the management of the artificial intelligence file occupies a preponderant place. Apple had placed great hopes in its assistant Siri, entrusted to John Giannandrea, recruited in 2018 to energize the company’s AI. However, ambitions collided with recurring setbacks and disappointing results:

• Delays in major improvements: The evolution of Siri towards a more fluid and contextual intelligence experienced several postponements.
• Flagship features disabled: Notification summaries intended to showcase the AI’s capabilities had to be withdrawn due to their lack of reliability.
• Growing frustrations among project teams: These failures fueled internal tensions and a loss of confidence in the overall strategic vision.

The failure of these projects also led to a questioning at the top: early 2025, Craig Federighi took back the management of the AI project by reinforcing control over initiatives, gradually removing authority from John Giannandrea. The latter, weakened by these events, will retire in 2026.

To ensure continuity, Amar Subramanya, a veteran of Google and Microsoft, will take over this sector from January 2026, signaling a repositioning and an attempt at opening a new dynamic.

• Examples of competitive strengths:
  • Meta Platforms and OpenAI guarantee financial offers exceeding $200 million over several years for certain talents.
  • Technologies offered by these competitors are gaining ground against Apple’s status quo.
• Meta Platforms and OpenAI guarantee financial offers exceeding $200 million over several years for certain talents.
• Technologies offered by these competitors are gaining ground against Apple’s status quo.
• Consequences for Apple:
  • A noticeable delay in AI compared to highly aggressive players.
  • A major rethinking of technological and human choices.
• A noticeable delay in AI compared to highly aggressive players.
• A major rethinking of technological and human choices.

AI Project	Initial situation	Problems encountered	Solutions considered
Assistant Siri	Improvement announced in 2018	Inconclusive internal tests, lack of reliability	Change of management, strengthened control
Notification summaries	Launched as a technological showcase	Insufficient reliability, service deactivation	Reconsideration of AI model, new strategy

Impact of departures on Apple’s governance and corporate strategy

The progressive flight of senior executives does not only concern the technological field. It also affects Apple’s governance, with the expected loss of several major figures leading government relations and legal management:

• Departure of Kate Adams, General Counsel since 2017: A pillar in protecting Apple’s legal interests and interface with the global regulatory framework.
• Departure of Lisa Jackson, head of government and environmental affairs: In position until early 2026, she embodied Apple’s commitment to sustainability issues and governmental lobbying.
• Arrival of Jennifer Newstead: Presented as Lisa Jackson’s replacement, her integration is planned for spring 2026 and should stabilize this strategic area.

These developments occur in a context where managing regulatory and environmental challenges becomes crucial and complex. This configuration raises several questions:

1. How will Apple maintain its standards facing increasingly strict regulations?
2. Will the new governance be able to strengthen ties with governments at a time when global pressure on technologies is increasing?
3. What impact will these departures have on Apple’s ability to anticipate and manage legal risks?

How Apple will react to this transition will be decisive for its long-term strategy. The risk of diminished influence over authorities could weigh heavily in a market where integration between technological innovation and social responsibility becomes imperative.

Name	Role at Apple	Duration	Consequences of departure
Kate Adams	General Counsel	Since 2017	Risk of losing strategic legal expertise
Lisa Jackson	Head of government affairs	Until January 2026	Delicate transition in institutional relations
Jennifer Newstead	New head	From spring 2026	High expectations on stabilization and innovation

Software design: another victim of the talent exodus at Apple

Beyond artificial intelligence and governance, another strategic field is shaking: software design. This sector, long supervised by Jony Ive, has undergone deep reshuffles and just lost a pillar in the person of Alan Dye, software design director for several years. His departure for Meta, at the very end of December, coincides with the finalization of Liquid Glass, the major visual overhaul of iOS 18.

Alan Dye’s role, beyond his design expertise, also involved significant responsibility in integrating artificial intelligence elements at the core of user interfaces. His decision to join a cross-disciplinary studio blending design, hardware, and AI at Meta underscores fierce competition among companies to seize the most creative and visionary minds.

• Liquid Glass: an aesthetic and functional metamorphosis of iOS designed to offer a renewed user experience.
• Consequences of the departure:
  • Risk of slowing down design innovations for Apple.
  • Increased difficulties in maintaining aesthetic and functional coherence in a rapidly growing AI context.
• Risk of slowing down design innovations for Apple.
• Increased difficulties in maintaining aesthetic and functional coherence in a rapidly growing AI context.
• Sectorial implications: the talent drain to Meta illustrates a shift of influence in the technological design universe.

Through this exodus, Apple must rethink not only its artistic and industrial approach but also how it articulates innovation and people management in a competitive environment.

Person in charge	Role	Duration at Apple	Consequences of departure
Alan Dye	Software design director	Several years	Departure for Meta, risk of impact on innovation
Jony Ive	Former design director	Until 2019	Strong support for design at Apple

The challenges of succession at Apple’s helm: uncertainties and major issues

The question of succession at Apple’s helm is now at the heart of concerns, especially as Tim Cook, the current CEO, approaches his 65th birthday. This announced transition exacerbates the feeling of instability noticeable for several months in the company’s governance and strategy.

The main successor mentioned, John Ternus, faces several major challenges:

• Management of technological lag: He will inherit a company with a certain delay in artificial intelligence, which has become the nerve center of the sector.
• Reorganization of talents: He will have to manage the massive departure of senior executives and bolster the motivation of remaining teams.
• New strategic challenges: The future leader will have to redefine the overall strategy in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving environment.

Beyond technical skills, this handover will involve a unifying effort within a complex apparatus, aiming to restore confidence among employees and create a climate conducive to innovation.

Subject	Challenges to overcome	Potential solutions
Succession Tim Cook	AI lag, internal tensions, talent exodus	Strengthening leadership, external recruitment, strategy change
Talent management	Maintain motivation, attract new executives	Salary increases, innovative projects, renewed corporate culture
Corporate strategy	Increased competition, rapid adaptation	Priority overhaul, investment in R&D

The talent war and its role in the departure of executives at Apple

One of the most striking factors in the exodus at Apple lies in the talent war raging in the tech sector. Competing companies, with their spectacular financial offers, are shaking even the strongest loyalty:

• Financial offers reaching or exceeding $200 million: Some executives and AI experts at Apple have received exceptional proposals from Meta or OpenAI.
• Opportunities for more innovative projects: The prospect of working on cutting-edge technologies in more flexible environments attracts many talents.
• Corporate culture and personal ambitions: The quest for personal fulfillment and real impact also plays a major role in choosing to change employers.

In the face of this dynamic, human resources management at Apple must evolve and offer not only competitive remunerations but also an engaging vision of the future.

Competing company	Amount offered	Fields concerned	Consequences for Apple
Meta Platforms	200+ million $ (over 4 years)	Artificial intelligence, design	Loss of key talents, strong competition
OpenAI	Similar amounts	AI, advanced research	Technological pressure, loss of competitiveness

Internal conflicts and the questioning of strategies at Apple

The departures of senior executives are not simply linked to financial competition; they also reflect a deeper malaise regarding internal management and Apple’s strategic choices. A careful examination reveals several key elements:

• Conflicts related to technological priorities: Tensions around AI development revealed diverging visions within the leadership teams.
• Difficulty managing change: Successive reorganizations sometimes generated frictions between departments, slowing decision-making.
• Pressures on corporate culture: Facing a rapidly changing market, Apple’s culture must find a balance between excellence and agility.

These internal conflicts contribute to a more tense working climate and may partly explain why some executives prefer to leave the company rather than participate in a battle whose rules seem constantly evolving.

Source of conflicts	Manifestation	Impact on the company
Strategic differences in AI	Conflictual meetings, delays	Slowdown of innovation
Internal reorganization	Uncertainties, loss of landmarks	Team demotivation
Changing corporate culture	Frictions, disengagement	Decrease in productivity

Perspectives for Apple facing the departure crisis: how to rebuild the future?

Faced with this period of turbulence and the exodus of its senior executives, Apple must consider innovative and bold solutions to restore its stability and strengthen its market positions. Several avenues can be explored:

• Strengthening talent management policy: Apple could intensify efforts to retain its best elements by granting strategic benefits and developing a stimulating work environment.
• Corporate governance reshuffle: The integration of new leaders capable of revitalizing teams and clarifying the company’s vision will be essential.
• Increased investments in Research & Development: To catch up on artificial intelligence and software innovation delays, a reinforced commitment to R&D is inevitable.
• Strengthening external relations: Maintaining and developing close cooperation with regulators and political partners will better anticipate regulatory challenges.

Each axis requires a coherent and concerted approach so that the apple company can not only overcome the current crisis but also prepare a sustainable and prosperous future.

Solutions	Objectives	Expected effects
Talent management	Retention, attractiveness	Reduction in departures, increased motivation
New governance	Clarity, dynamism	Regained confidence, internal cohesion
Reinforced R&D	Innovation, competitiveness	Technological revival, product development
Government relations	Anticipation, influence	Better risk management