October 10, 2024 – Bloomberg reports that Dan Riccio, a longtime Apple employee, is set to retire from the company later this month, marking the end of a 26-year career.
Riccio, who most recently served as the Vice President of Engineering overseeing the development of Vision Pro, reported directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook. His departure is expected to leave a significant mark on the tech giant.
Riccio joined Apple in June 1998 as the Director of Product Design and rose through the ranks, eventually being promoted to Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering in August 2012. He held this position for over eight years before transitioning to an undisclosed project in 2021, which was later revealed to be the Vision Pro headset.
John Ternus will succeed Riccio as Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering. Ternus will also take over the development of Vision Pro and lead the Vision Products Group, which comprises thousands of engineers. Mike Rockwell, who worked under Riccio, will continue to oversee the daily operations of Vision Pro and similar headsets.
During his tenure at Apple, Riccio was not only involved in the development of Vision Pro but was also a key supporter of the company’s autonomous vehicle project, which was ultimately abandoned by Apple earlier this year. His responsibilities also included overseeing the development of AirPods, iPad Pro, and the original large-screen iPhone.
