Apple VP Stan Ng retires after 31 years as founding member of iPod and Apple Watch teams
One of the key figures behind two of Apple's most influential consumer products closes out three decades of product leadership, marking the end of an era for the company's wearables and health division.
Stan Ng, Vice President of Product Marketing at Apple, retired in April 2026 after 31 years at the company. He was a founding team member on both iPod and Apple Watch. Photo credit: Stan Ng
Stan Ng, Vice President of Product Marketing at Apple, has retired after 31 years with the company, departing as one of the last remaining executives with direct founding roles on both the iPod and Apple Watch.
His exit removes a significant thread of institutional knowledge from Apple's wearables, health, and home product division at a time when the category continues to grow.
Ng announced his retirement on LinkedIn, describing his final day at Apple Park in Cupertino. He wrote: "After 31 years at Apple, today was my last day."
His send-off included a morning visit to Apple Park to watch the sunrise while listening to his original iPod, still running on its original battery. He wrote: "I think I got in everything I wanted to do on my last day before retiring."
From iPod concept to Apple Watch launch
Ng joined Apple in 1995 as a Senior Systems Engineer and moved into product marketing for Mac before becoming one of the founding members of the iPod team. He partnered with Tony Fadell to pitch and develop the iPod from concept through to its global launch, later leading product marketing and management for the line at peak scale.
He subsequently led product marketing for iPhone across multiple generations before joining the founding team for Apple Watch in 2013, where he drove early product vision, positioning, and go-to-market strategy. He wrote: "I was one of the original members of the iPod team, partnering with Tony Fadell to pitch and bring iPod from concept to market, and a founding team member for Apple Watch, where I led product vision, definition, and launch strategy."
In his most recent role as VP of Product Marketing for Apple Watch, AirPods, Health, and Home, Ng oversaw product strategy, partnerships, and global launches across multiple product lines used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
The departure of a founding-generation executive of this profile raises questions about the direction of Apple's product leadership as the company navigates its next phase of hardware and health strategy.
Ng closed his LinkedIn post by thanking colleagues across his career. He wrote: "It was a joy to work at Apple and I truly loved what I did. A big thank you to everyone I worked with, both inside and outside Apple!"
