After nearly two decades shaping Apple’s visual identity, Alan Dye, Vice President of Human Interface Design, is leaving the company to join Meta.
Dye will become Chief Design Officer at Meta’s Reality Labs, where he says his focus will be on building a new design language from scratch. In a LinkedIn post announcing the move, Dye framed the decision as a chance to invent rather than refine.
At Apple, Dye played a central role in defining the look and feel of iOS, watchOS, and macOS after the departure of Jony Ive. His exit removes one of the last senior figures tied directly to Apple’s post-Ive design era.
Apple has confirmed that Stephen Lemay, a veteran with more than 25 years at the company, will step into Dye’s role.
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Legal leadership reshuffle underway
Design is not the only area seeing change. Apple has also announced a new General Counsel, Jennifer Newstead, who previously held senior legal roles at Meta and the US State Department.
Her appointment follows the departure of long-serving General Counsel Kate Adams. At the same time, Lisa Jackson, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, is set to retire in January 2026.
The clustering of exits across legal and policy leadership suggests a broader generational handover rather than isolated role changes.
AI leadership turnover adds pressure
Apple’s executive churn has been especially noticeable in artificial intelligence.
Earlier this month, reports confirmed that John Giannandrea, Apple’s head of AI, is leaving the company. His replacement is Amar Subramanya, formerly a corporate vice president at Microsoft.
The timing is uncomfortable for Apple. The company remains behind competitors in AI deployment, with a long-promised Siri overhaul still delayed by more than a year. Rivals including Google, Meta, and OpenAI continue to release faster-moving AI platforms while Apple focuses on incremental updates.
A year defined by leadership transitions
The departures form part of a wider reshaping of Apple’s executive team in 2025.
Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams handed responsibilities to Sabih Khan, while Kevan Parekh replaced Luca Maestri earlier in the year.
Outside Apple, several former designers have followed Jony Ive into his LoveFrom studio, while others have joined OpenAI, continuing a slow drain of senior creative and technical talent.
Rumors about Tim Cook stepping down continue to circulate, although there has been no indication from Apple that a leadership change at the top is imminent.
Strong financials, internal questions
Despite internal movement, Apple’s business performance remains solid. The company reported full-year 2025 revenue of $416 billion, with services contributing roughly 25% of total income.
Still, the steady loss of senior leaders across design, AI, and legal functions is drawing attention. As Apple works to reposition itself in artificial intelligence and extended reality, retaining institutional knowledge may prove as critical as launching the next product cycle.
