There's a bit of an executive shake-up happening at Apple.
The iPhone maker announced today that Angela Ahrendts, Senior Vice President of Retail, will be leaving Apple in April. Her reason for leaving is for "new personal and professional pursuits."
Taking Ahrendts' place will be Deirdre O'Brien (shown below), who's been with Apple for 30 years. She'll become the company's Senior Vice President of Retail and People. As lead of the people team, O'Brien is involved in talent development, recruiting, employee relations and experience, benefits, compensation, and inclusion and diversity.
“People come to Apple to do the best work of their lives, and our retail teams show their passion every day, in every interaction, all around the world,” said O’Brien. “It is the opportunity of a lifetime to work with, and learn from, such a talented, diverse and imaginative team. I am looking forward to this journey, and to continuing the important work of the People team in supporting all of Apple’s amazing employees.”
Angela Ahrendts has been with Apple for five years, after leaving her position as CEO of Burberry.
“The last five years have been the most stimulating, challenging and fulfilling of my career. Through the teams’ collective efforts, Retail has never been stronger or better positioned to make an even greater contribution for Apple,” said Ahrendts. “I feel there is no better time to pass the baton to Deirdre, one of Apple’s strongest executives. I look forward to watching how this amazing team, under her leadership, will continue to change the world one person and one community at a time.”
Retail is a big deal for Apple, with the company running many stores around the world where people go to check out Apple products, get help and repairs, and buy iPhones, Macs, and more. That's why the news of Ahrendts' departure is a big deal, and it'll be interesting to see what tweaks, if any, are made to Apple's stores following Ahrendts leaving.
