Apple has faced a recurring challenge with employee retention, losing several prominent researchers to competitor firms. The latest scare involved Johny Srouji, the crucial figure behind the groundbreaking processors inside both the iPhone and the Mac. Apple came dangerously close to losing him, but after urgent efforts, the company has successfully convinced Srouji to stay.
Johny Srouji Considers Leaving Apple
According to reports, Johny Srouji informed Tim Cook that he was seriously contemplating departure from Apple. Not planning to retire, Srouji expressed interest in pursuing his career elsewhere. This revelation triggered a rapid and intense reaction within the company aimed at retaining their valued hardware technologies chief.
Srouji Stays With Apple, For Now
Johny Srouji, who led the MacBook’s critical transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon. | Image credit — Apple
The upcoming iPhone 16e represents Apple’s strategic move to further reduce dependency on Qualcomm. Losing Srouji at this stage would have introduced significant disruption to Apple’s immediate priorities and risked long-term innovation goals.
How much impact would Srouji’s departure have had on Apple?
Report (subscription required) reveals that Johny Srouji has chosen to remain with Apple for the time being.
“I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.”
— Johny Srouji, Senior VP of Hardware Technologies at Apple, Bloomberg, December 2025
A Significant Win for Tim Cook
Tim Cook and Apple’s leadership quickly rallied to keep Srouji from departing. Naturally, this led to widespread speculation about raises or incentives being offered to retain the vital executive.
