Apple to Hire Former Yves Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve? [Update: Confirmed]

pauldeneveAccording to a tipster who spoke to AppleInsider, Apple may be planning to hire Paul Deneve, who recently left his post as CEO of French luxury label Yves Saint Laurent to "pursue a career in the technology industry."

Deneve, who has worked for a number of luxury labels including Courreges, Nina Ricci, and Lanvin, was previously employed at Apple Europe from 1990 to 1997, where he held several sales and marketing positions.

While no information was given on Deneve's possible role at Apple, his past experience suggests that he could be a potential replacement for former retail head John Browett, who was ousted from Apple in October of 2012.

Apple may want to draw upon Deneve's expertise in the luxury goods sector to help launch new products, including the rumored iWatch. The mere mention of Apple trademarking “iWatch” has driven up the company's stock by 6 percent across the last two days.

Recruiting an established member of the fashion and luxury goods sector could be a move to propel Apple's brand internationally, building upon the success and cachet of the iPhone, which dramatically opened up new demand for the company's products outside the United States.

Both Apple and YSL have declined to comment on the possible hire and no further information is available at this time.

Update: According to Bloomberg reporter Adam Satariano, Apple has confirmed that it has hired Paul Deneve, but not as the SVP of retail. Instead, Deneve will work on "special projects" and will report directly to Tim Cook.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Paul Deneve to Apple,” the Cupertino, California-based company said in a statement yesterday. “He’ll be working on special projects as a vice president reporting directly to Tim Cook.”

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...

Top Rated Comments

Dulcimer Avatar
162 months ago
He looks like Phil Schiller! They'd be a perfect match for marketing :D
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
komodrone Avatar
162 months ago
missing that thing around his wrist.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HMI Avatar
162 months ago
.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ckurt25 Avatar
162 months ago
An iWatch so the US government can spy even more on me? No, thanks.

I really hope you don't think the US government is "spying" on everyone with an iOS device. Even if they knew every keystroke or website I visited I really wouldn't care. I'm not paranoid enough to think they have enough time to pour though everything millions of people are doing in order to.... in order to do what....? Arrest you for checking out Grumpy Cat on Facebook? If they analyse every email, phone call and text message for terrorist activity and it keeps me safe at sporting events, on airplanes, in hotels, at work and at home, then let them. The government isn't too concerned that I have fetishes or what my 401k looks like or that I like to watch Most Extreme Elimination Challenge.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RolyPolyBird Avatar
162 months ago
I really hope you don't think the US government is "spying" on everyone with an iOS device. Even if they knew every keystroke or website I visited I really wouldn't care. I'm not paranoid enough to think they have enough time to pour though everything millions of people are doing in order to.... in order to do what....? Arrest you for checking out Grumpy Cat on Facebook? If they analyse every email, phone call and text message for terrorist activity and it keeps me safe at sporting events, on airplanes, in hotels, at work and at home, then let them. The government isn't too concerned that I have fetishes or what my 401k looks like or that I like to watch Most Extreme Elimination Challenge.

You really don't get it and it seems living in America is completely wasted on you.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bse3 Avatar
162 months ago
An iWatch so the US government can spy even more on me? No, thanks.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)