Apple Veteran Johnny Srouji Dismisses Imminent Departure Rumors

Johnny Srouji, Apple's chip chief, sent an internal message to his team Monday denying reports that he's planning to leave the company. The move aims to calm tensions within one of Apple's most critical technical divisions as the iPhone maker faces leadership changes in key areas.

Srouji told his team they deserved to hear directly from him, saying he loves his work at Apple and has no plans to leave anytime soon. The statement comes after weekend reports suggested he had discussed departing for another tech company.

The timing is significant. Apple just announced that John Giannandrea, who leads the company's AI efforts, will retire next spring. But instead of replacing him, Apple is breaking up the AI team entirely. The staff will now report to software chief Craig Federighi, operations head Sabih Khan, and services boss Eddy Cue.

For Apple, keeping Srouji matters enormously. He's the engineer who led Apple's shift to designing its own chips internally - a move that reshaped both computing and smartphone markets. Apple's M-series processors for Macs and A-series chips for iPhones give the company major advantages over competitors who rely on outside suppliers.

Srouji brings deep technical expertise to the role. Born in Haifa to an Arab Christian family, he earned computer science degrees from Israel's Technion institute. He spent years at IBM's hardware labs in Haifa starting in 1990, then moved to Intel before joining Apple. His background spans both the theoretical and practical sides of chip development.

In his message to staff, Srouji highlighted Apple's broader hardware efforts beyond just processors. He pointed to the company's work on displays, cameras, sensors, and batteries as examples of how Apple's integrated approach helps it build what he called "the world's best products."

The leadership shuffles come as Apple faces growing pressure in AI development. Competitors like Google and Microsoft have moved aggressively into generative AI, while Apple has taken a more cautious approach. Breaking up the AI team rather than replacing Giannandrea suggests Apple may be rethinking how it organizes these efforts.

For investors, Srouji staying put removes one major concern. Apple's chip capabilities directly impact profit margins and product performance. Losing the architect of that strategy would have raised questions about Apple's ability to maintain its hardware edge in an increasingly competitive market.