Roger Fingas
Apple retail head Angela Ahrendts is departing the company after just five years on the job, the company revealed on Tuesday, leaving incoming SVP Deirdre O'Brien with some large shoes to fill.
O'Brien, a 30-year veteran of the corporation, is currently Apple's VP of People. In fact, O'Brien will retain those responsibilities, taking on a new mantle as senior VP of "Retail + People." Along with retail operations, the role covers "People-related functions" like 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 Apple CEO Tim Cook in a prepared statement. Talking about Ahrendts, the CEO thanked her for being a "positive, transformative force" for both Apple stores and their surrounding communities.
"The last five years have been the most stimulating, challenging and fulfilling of my career," Ahrendts herself stated. "Through the teams' collective efforts, Retail has never been stronger or better positioned to make an even greater contribution for Apple."
Ahrendts was formerly the CEO of Burberry, and is thought to have been hired in 2014 precisely because of her fashion expertise. The company was on the verge of announcing the first-generation Apple Watch, and under Ahrendts' tenure Apple stores have become increasingly focused on selling style as much as substance, as evidenced by touches like glass tables showcasing different Watch bands and cases.
The executive also spearheaded "Today at Apple," a rebranding and expansion of in-store teaching and entertainment events. She only recently promoted the addition of over 50 new sessions, some of them celebrity-branded.
Apple's retail footprint has also expanded to over 506 locations under her tenure. Renovations are underway at a variety of existing shops to update them to the Ahrendts aesthetic, developed with the help of chief design officer Jony Ive.
Ahrendts is leaving to pursue "new personal and professional pursuits," Apple said.
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125 Comments
Tim really overpaid for her then. He should’ve hired from within the first time.
She’s great and did a great job, but these execs are obscenely overpaid.
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/02/apple-names-deirdre-obrien-senior-vice-president-of-retail-and-people/
I guess it makes sense that Ms. Ahrendts would leave in April. She has about 105,000 time-based RSUs due to vest on April 1st.
But she's also giving up a lot of unvested RSUs. She has another 200,000 or so unvested time-based RSUs and perhaps 350,000 unvested performance-based RSUs.
Overpaid but glad she's leaving. She seemed very bright, but the reality is she turned the best retail experience ever into the DMV and basically added nothing but logistical complication. The threat of her possibly becoming CEO has me breathing a sigh of relief as she was not a good fit.
The new head of people and retail seems like an AWFUL idea as she is basically head of HR, and now magically a master of retail?
What would be great is if Deidre is temporary and they convince Ron Johnson to come back. He was great at this role. Apple would be lucky to get him back.
Paid obscene amounts of money to add a bit of fashion to the stores. Still not as bad as John Browett, paid obscene amounts of money to make every retail employees working life a nightmare. I've never worked somewhere, where seeing employees in tears was a weekly experience. Thank's John you jerk.