Apple's head of retail, Angela Ahrendts is leaving the company after five years, the company announced. Apple veteran Deirdre O’Brien will take her place in the expanded role of senior vice president of Retail + People, reporting to CEO Tim Cook.
Ahrendts plans to leave Apple in April "for new personal and professional pursuits", the company said.
O'Brien is already head of human resources at Apple and has been with the company for 30 years. She will lead the company’s global retail reach, focused on the connection between the customer and the people and processes that serve them. She will continue to lead the People team, overseeing all People-related functions, including talent development and Apple University, recruiting, employee relations and experience, business partnership, benefits, compensation, and inclusion and diversity.
Apple operates 35 online stores and 506 retail stores on five continents, staffed by around 70,000 employees.
