Apple Watch Marketing Head Retires After 31 Years

Stan Ng, a pivotal marketing executive at Apple Inc., has retired after an extensive 31-year tenure. Ng's departure on Thursday marks a significant transition for key product lines under his purview, including the Apple Watch, AirPods, and health technologies. He played an instrumental role in the conception of the original Apple Watch and has overseen its subsequent development. Earlier in his career, Ng was celebrated for his contributions to the launch of the iconic iPod and its marketing.

Ng's exit follows a pattern of notable departures from Apple. This past Wednesday marked the company's latest stock unit vesting date, a common time for employees to leave. John Giannandrea, Apple's chief of artificial intelligence, is also departing, as reported on Sunday. These exits span both the Steve Jobs and Tim Cook eras, with operations chief Jeff Williams and hardware engineering leader Dan Riccio having retired in prior years. Further changes include the retirement of Lisa Jackson, head of environment and government affairs, and the upcoming departure of the longtime general counsel later in 2026. Alan Dye, head of user interface design, left for Meta Platforms Inc. at the end of 2025.

Ng's departure is particularly impactful for Apple's smartwatch and health initiatives, as he is the third major executive in these areas to leave recently. This follows the retirement of Jeff Williams, who previously managed these groups, and the exit of Jay Blahnik, head of Fitness+, amid an investigation. Ng reported to Bob Borchers, who leads product marketing under senior vice president Greg Joswiak. Erik Treski has assumed part of Ng's responsibilities, now overseeing marketing for audio and home products.