14 DAY TRIAL // A Levi Strauss spokeswoman has confirmed to the press that Enrique Atienza has left the clothing company, after heading its retail division for one year. But he’s still be in the retail business, and his new employer is none other than Apple Inc.
Apple reportedly poached Atienza from Levi Strauss, convincing the guy that there’s a better place for him at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California.
At Levi Strauss, Atienza’s title was Senior Vice President, Americas and Global Retail Store Operations and Training WCC.
Sarah Young, a spokeswoman for the clothing company, confirmed that Atienza recently left the company, but denied any rumors about his new Apple hire.
But the man’s LinkedIn profile confirms it, and one source cited by 9to5mac says Atienza will be “the director of all retail matters for many regions within the West Coast of the United States.”
This person also says that his new role is “one of the highest ranking retail positions inside of Apple,” and that he will be starting in October. Atienza will be reporting to Steve Cano, who was previously considered for head of retail within Apple.
Cano is now a VP, and he reports directly to CEO Tim Cook.
The report also points out that Atienza may have what it takes to lead Apple’s retail division, as he has similar operational style to Tim Cook himself.
An excerpt from a statement Atienza once gave seems to suggest this is the case indeed.
“We completely reorganized the way we operate. Previously, we had an overwhelming assortment of product catered to regional markets … 20 different models across the world … leadership in every country … and a local-only, single-channel mindset … [that made for an] inconsistent customer experience.”
Apple has been scrambling to get its hands on a good retail boss since the company has been forced to fire John Browett (who had come from Dixons).