Apple's Head of Retail Engineering Leaving Company After 10 Years

Diogo Rau, who has served as Apple's head of engineering for retail and the online Apple store, will leave the company following 10 years of service to join Lilly as its senior VP and chief information and digital officer.

apple store reopening
Rau announced his departure from Apple on Linkedin, saying that it has been a privilege to work with his colleagues at Apple and that the company has "set the standard for the retail industry."

Rau joined Apple in April of 2011, and during his tenure, he witnessed and helped the company expand its retail locations and presence around the world. Throughout the years, Apple Stores have taken on a life of their own, serving as a community hub rather than simply a place to purchase products.

Rau also spearheaded Apple's efforts in the digital space, helping to grow its e-commerce platforms, the Apple Store app, and the roll-out of product launches at retail locations. Rau will begin his new role at Lilly on May 17.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...

Top Rated Comments

T Coma Avatar
62 months ago
I’m an engineer.
Really? What, a EE?
No, a retail engineer.
?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kjvmartin Avatar
62 months ago

Throughout the years, Apple Stores have taken on a life of their own, serving as a community hub rather than simply a place to purchase products.
Community? Hub? LOL @ This. I am tryin to get in and out of an Apple Store as quickly as possible. Best if I can just get it online shipped. The times I've had to go in there, I feel like cattle. Plus I have to go to a mall to get there.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cardfan Avatar
62 months ago

Community? Hub? LOL @ This. I am tryin to get in and out of an Apple Store as quickly as possible. Best if I can just get it online shipped. The times I've had to go in there, I feel like cattle. Plus I have to go to a mall to get there.
This. It’s probably been a couple of years since I had to tolerate an apple store.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TravelsInBlue Avatar
62 months ago
Apple stores have had an increasingly terrible customer experience, and the ones near me have become sterile and fuglier over the last ten years. The Microsoft store across the pathway was always nicer looking with a more pleasant shopping experience. I always just end up going to Best Buy these days.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
62 months ago
Is he responsible for the non sense that tied the Apple Store app to your iCloud account on your device? Haven't been able to use it since.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bigfatipod Avatar
62 months ago
For those knocking on the title of "retail engineer", I think its worth giving this person a lot of credit in what they've accomplished.
If that's still not enough, he certainly has the background to understand "wires".
Rau graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in computer science and a master's degree in industrial engineering and engineering management.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)