Angela Ahrendts Departing Apple in April, Deirdre O'Brien to Oversee Retail and People

Apple's retail chief, Angela Ahrendts is set to leave Apple in April after spending five years at the company, Apple announced today.

Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's current "Vice President of People," is set to take Ahrendts' place. O'Brien will be taking on new responsibilities for Apple's retail and online stores in her expanded role as Senior Vice President of Retail and People, reporting directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

deirdre obrien apple vp
That's not quite the same role that Ahrendts currently holds as Apple's Senior Vice President of Retail. O'Brien will focus on the connection between the customer and the people, and the processes that serve them.

In her new role as retail leader, she will also lead the People team and will oversee all People-related functions, including talent development and Apple University, recruiting, employee relations and experience, business partnership, benefits, compensation, and inclusion and diversity.

"At Apple, we believe our soul is our people, and Deirdre understands the qualities and strengths of our team better than anyone," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "For more than three decades, she has helped keep Apple focused on serving customers and enriching lives. She's an exceptional leader and she's been a vital partner to our retail teams around the world since the very beginning. I am thrilled to work alongside Deirdre in her new role, and I know our 70,000 retail employees will be, too."

In a statement, O'Brien said that she is looking forward to working with Apple's retail teams moving forward.

"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 Deirdre O'Brien, senior vice president of Retail + People. "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."

According to Apple, Ahrendts is leaving the company for "new personal and professional pursuits." She first joined Apple in 2014 and has headed up Apple's retail initiatives since then, overseeing the launch of redesigned Apple Stores and customer experiences that have been rolling out across the world over the course of the last few years.

Ahrendts was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of well-known fashion company Burberry, and prior to that role, she held positions at Liz Claiborne and Donna Karan. Cook said that Ahrendts has been "inspiring and energizing" for Apple's retail teams, and that Apple wishes her the "very best."

Ahrendts said that the five years she spent at Apple were the most "stimulating, challenging, and fulfilling" of her career.

"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 Angela Ahrendts, senior vice president of Retail. "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."

As O'Brien takes over for Ahrendts, Apple has more than 35 online stores around the world and 506 retail locations across five continents. Apple recently rolled out an expanded series of "Today at Apple" workshops and classes, another initiative begun under Ahrendts.

Update: Here is Cook's internal memo about the announcement, obtained by Business Insider's Kif Leswing:

Team,

I'm writing to let you know about an important leadership change. Today we're announcing the promotion of one of Apple's most passionate and experienced advocates for our customers and employees — and the departure of a much-loved and accomplished leader who has played a transformative role in shaping Apple's retail experiences.

After five years leading Apple's retail and online stores, Angela Ahrendts is planning to leave Apple in April for new personal and professional pursuits. Angela has inspired and energized our retail teams with the vision of stores as a place where the best of Apple comes together to serve customers and communities. During her tenure, the in-store experience has been redefined with programs like Today at Apple, and our relationship with customers is stronger than ever.

This transition gives us an opportunity to reinforce and carry forward the values that make our retail and online stores the best in the world — and our mission to enrich the lives of others. As I've said many times, Apple's greatest asset is its people. And with that in mind, the best choice to lead our team became clear very quickly.

I am thrilled to announce that Deirdre O'Brien will be taking responsibility for our retail teams in a new role as senior vice president of Retail + People. Deirdre brings insight and experience gained over 30 years at Apple — decades spent focusing on the connection between customers and the people and processes that serve them. Working collaboratively across Apple, Deirdre and her teams empower people to lead with purpose and humanity.

Deirdre was part of the team that planned and launched Apple's very first online and retail stores. She has been a part of Retail's exciting expansion and every product launch since. She knows the value of the deep human connections that retail experiences make possible — and she knows this is where Apple shows its heart and soul.

In her capacity as vice president of People, Deirdre and her team have brought elevated focus to how Apple inspires, connects, develops and cares for its employees — essential efforts that she will continue companywide through the People team in her new and expanded role.

As we look forward, finding new ways to elevate our in-store and online experiences, forging deeper relationships with the customers who love our products, I believe that our team, at every level, is the best in the business. I am grateful to Angela for all she's done for Apple, and I'm looking forward to what Deirdre will bring to her new role.

To everyone in Retail, and our employees worldwide, thanks for all you do to help dreamers become doers, to expand human potential and to do the best work of our lives.

Tim

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
61 months ago
Going to miss her incredibly dry Keynote delivery. Where will they ever find somebody so—wait, just slap a wig on Cook and it'll be like Ahrendts never left.



Attachment Image
Score: 91 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Braderunner Avatar
61 months ago
I hate going into an Apple store. Just picking up an online order is a pain. Saw zero improvements under her direction. Next!
Score: 76 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GubbyMan Avatar
61 months ago
I never liked Angela Ahrendts, it’s finally time for her to go. I know she was just responsibe for the stores and not actual product design but I feel like she brought this feeling that Apple devices had to be luxury items with high prices.
Score: 71 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Canezmd Avatar
61 months ago
Seriously, in 5 years what did she do??? The stores are exactly the same, just with worse service. Everyone who works there is overworked, you have to wait forever to get any help. It's a horrible experience.
Score: 67 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yaxomoxay Avatar
61 months ago
(Vice) President of People sounds quite Orwellian....
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vistokid Avatar
61 months ago
Did she do anything while at Apple?
Got RICH(ER)!
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
Multi Display CarPlay 1

All-New Apple CarPlay Launching Later This Year With These 5 New Features

Friday September 29, 2023 11:29 am PDT by
At WWDC 2022 last year, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, personalization options, and more. Apple said the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience would be announced in late 2023, but it has still not shared any additional...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

Thursday September 28, 2023 6:25 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

Apple to Address iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issue With iOS 17 Update

Saturday September 30, 2023 9:28 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an iOS 17 update to address a bug that may contribute to the reported iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue, according to a statement the company shared today with MacRumors and Forbes reporter David Phelan. Apple also says some recent updates to third-party apps have overloaded the system and contributed to the overheating issue. The report notes that...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...