Craig Federighi (born May 27, 1969) is a prominent American software engineer and business executive currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at Apple Inc. Widely recognized as one of the key figures in Apple’s modern leadership, Federighi is responsible for the development of Apple's primary operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. His teams are tasked with overseeing the user interfaces, applications, and frameworks that define the user experience across the company’s hardware ecosystem. Born in San Leandro, California, Federighi pursued his higher education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and computer science, and a Master of Science in computer science. His professional career began at NeXT, the company founded by Steve Jobs after his first tenure at Apple. At NeXT, Federighi played a critical role in the development of the Enterprise Objects Framework (EOF), a technology designed to allow enterprise applications to interact with databases. This work was highly regarded and influential within the software industry. Following Apple's acquisition of NeXT in 1996, Federighi transitioned to Apple, where he worked for three years before departing in 1999 to join the enterprise software company Ariba. During his decade-long tenure at Ariba, he held several executive positions, including Chief Technology Officer, gaining significant experience in enterprise-level software strategy and leadership. Federighi returned to Apple in 2009 to lead the macOS engineering team, arriving just as the company had completed development of Mac OS X Snow Leopard. His expertise and leadership during this period led to his rapid ascent within the company. In March 2011, he succeeded Bertrand Serlet as the Vice President of Mac Software Engineering. In August 2012, he was promoted to Senior Vice President, and shortly thereafter, following the departure of Scott Forstall, his responsibilities were expanded to include the engineering of iOS, effectively unifying the development of Apple’s desktop and mobile platforms under his leadership. Beyond his executive duties, Federighi has become a highly visible public figure for Apple, frequently serving as a primary presenter at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and other product launch events. He is well-known for his charismatic and often humorous presentation style, which frequently incorporates self-deprecating jokes, references to his distinctive hairstyle—an attribute that earned him the fan-given nickname "Hair Force One"—and elaborate, scripted skits involving his "crack marketing team." Under his tenure, Apple has navigated major shifts in its software strategy, including the transition to Apple Silicon and an increased organizational focus on user privacy, a topic Federighi frequently champions during product announcements. His leadership style is often described as consensus-driven and responsive, and he remains a central figure in Apple's technological direction. Federighi is married and is a father of four children.