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eBay today announced that it has hired Apple's RJ Pittman into a newly created role of Chief Product Officer for the online marketplace company. Pittman had been at Apple since early 2010, when he left Google to become Apple's head of e-commerce, and he shared some thoughts with AllThingsD about his new career move.
“I think it’s pretty clear today eBay dominates the marketplace category,” Pittman said in an interview with AllThingsD. “I’m excited to come in and reinvent the way people buy and sell.”
“I loved what I was doing at Apple; it’s a great company … but eBay is on a completely different level by an order of magnitude when it comes to e-commerce,” he added.
Pittman's departure comes just days after Apple announced that Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts will be joining the company early next year as head of retail and online store operations, but sources tell AllThingsD that the timing was coincidental. Ahrendts' arrival will see a restructuring of Apple's sales efforts, with both retail and online operations operating under the same umbrella.
Top Rated Comments
"Do you want to continue changing the world? Or do you want to come with me and manage an online flea market?" :D
So basically he is going somewhere to do a job for a company in a big already successful role that he has failed to do at Apple.
I say failed as surely if he was doing his job right he wouldnt need to leave to join a bigger more successful company as this is Apple it doesnt get bigger tbh and thats not fan boy rubbish.
But he wants to leave thats cool he will be easily replacable. In fact I dont see coincidence with recent appointments, retail ans e-commerce should be linked anyway so hes probably been replaced for not doing good enough.
there, fixed it for him. im sure theyll come up w/ some new and creative fee structures.
Or maybe one of Angela's conditions to joining Apple was to have complete control of their stores, online and offline. That would have been an effective demotion for this guy and so he left.
Good thought, it makes total sense all retail on the street and online be managed together. Im surprised Apple really had retail in two departments, no wonder theres been stocking issues.
She is coming from a big job and have no doubt had conditions to her signing for a position downgrade on the corporate ladder. This may be part of the passion Tim mentioned.
I feel very positive weirdly concerning all this. Seems like one meh guy left and a lady with excellent experience and a background with a proved track record of success in a global company brand.