Mr. Williams was long considered a leading candidate to replace Tim Cook as the company’s next chief executive.

In a major leadership shakeup at Apple Inc., longtime Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams is set to retire, marking the exit of one of the company’s most influential figures. Apple confirmed on Tuesday that Williams will step down as COO this month and

Apple’s chief operating officer plans to hand the role off this month and retire later this year after roughly a decade as the tech giant’s No. 2 under Chief Executive Tim Cook.