14 DAY TRIAL // After a full year without a proper retail chief, Apple finally believes it has found someone suited for the role. Her name is Angela Ahrendts, and she comes from fashion house Burberry.
In a press release, Apple formally announces that “…Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry, will be joining Apple in a newly created position, as a senior vice president and member of our executive team, reporting to CEO Tim Cook.”
Around this time last year, Apple was just firing John Browett, who’d come from Dixons to lead the Cupertino giant’s retail operations.
The iPhone maker then spent a full year without a proper retail chief, with Tim Cook taking on the task, alongside his duties as Apple CEO.
Ahrendts will oversee “the strategic direction, expansion and operation of both Apple retail and online stores, which have redefined the shopping experience for hundreds of millions of customers around the world,” according to the press release.
The Burberry CEO will be joining Apple in spring. Prior to her CEO role at the fashion house, Ahrendts was executive vice president at Liz Claiborne Inc., and before that she was president of Donna Karan International.
Commenting on the new hire, CEO Tim Cook said, “I am thrilled that Angela will be joining our team.”
“She shares our values and our focus on innovation, and she places the same strong emphasis as we do on the customer experience. She has shown herself to be an extraordinary leader throughout her career and has a proven track record.”
Unfortunately, this is no guarantee she’ll succeed in the Apple retail environment. Avid fans of the computer company will remember that Cook said pretty much the same things about Browett last year, yet the Dixons man proved to be a bad fit for Apple’s culture.
Ahrendts herself gave a statement, saying, “I am profoundly honored to join Apple in this newly created position next year, and very much look forward to working with the global teams to further enrich the consumer experience on and offline.”
“I have always admired the innovation and impact Apple products and services have on people’s lives and hope in some small way I can help contribute to the company’s continued success and leadership in changing the world,” she added.