Apple has decided to not appoint a new head of hardware design to replace Evans Hankey, who is leaving the company early this year. Instead, the company's group of around 20 industrial designers will report directly to Apple's Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jeff Williams.
According to Bloomberg, many of the veteran designers in the team will be given larger roles, which will significantly broaden Williams' responsibilities. Williams already manages global operations, the supply chain, AppleCare customer support, and software engineering for the watch and health efforts. Although, it is not ruled out that Apple may appoint a new hardware design lead in the future. Meanwhile, Alan Dye will continue to lead software design.
The absence of a new head of hardware design marks a significant shift for Apple's legendary hardware design group, as it will now be directly under the supervision of the company's operations head, Jeff Williams. The team has been a part of Williams' scope for some time, as Hankey has been reporting to Williams since Jony Ive's departure in 2019. Since then, Apple has been running design by committee, with the design leadership being split into Hankey's and Dye's roles.
The impact of this organizational change on the company's future hardware design remains to be seen. Apple did not respond to a request for comment, and the company is set to announce its Q1 2023 earnings later today.
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