Mr. Williams was long considered a leading candidate to replace Tim Cook as the company’s next chief executive.

Apple has promoted Sabih Khan to chief operating officer, putting him in charge of the company’s supply chain when the tech giant and its peers are navigating Donald Trump’s trade war.

Sabih Khan who has been with Apple for 30 years, is currently serving as Apple's senior vice president of operations, overseeing the tech giant's ops and global supply chain.