Apple has appointed a new Senior Vice President of Operations dedicated to ensuring that Apple products meet "the highest standards of quality, reports "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com).

Jeff Williams, who came from IBM to Apple more than a decade ago, was promoted this month to join Apple's executive team as chief operation officer Tim Cook's right hand man, the article adds. He could be Cook's replacement if and when Cook takes over the CEO position from Steve Jobs -- not that there's any indication this will happen anytime soon.

Williams joined Apple in 1998 as the company's head of worldwide procurement and in 2004 was promoted to the position of Vice President for Operations. Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, Williams has led worldwide operations for both the iPhone and iPod. Prior to his arrival at Apple, Williams spent 13 years at IBM in a number of capacities.