Apple has made official that ex-IBM chip design expert, Mark Papermaster has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Devices Hardware Engineering. Softpedia recently reported that IBM was suing Papermaster for defecting and running off to Apple, as the "blade server guru" possessed highly-confidential IBM trade secrets and know-how, on which he would undoubtedly spill the beans to Apple.

Official Apple reports are hard to come by, so imagine our surprise when the company's press room suddenly featured a title saying "Mark Papermaster Joins Apple as Senior Vice President of Devices Hardware Engineering." The piece goes to say that Mark Papermaster is joining the Company as Senior Vice President of Devices Hardware Engineering, reporting to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Apple reckons Papermaster is in position to lead its iPod and iPhone hardware engineering teams as the man has 25 years of product and technology experience.

Papermaster has a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Texas, and Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Vermont in 1988, Apple reveals. He is also a member of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Council at the University of Texas.

"Mark is a seasoned leader and is going to be an excellent addition to our senior management team," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. "Tony and Dani have each made important contributions to Apple over the past eight years. We’re sorry to see Dani go, and are looking forward to working with Tony in his new capacity."

Within the same report, Apple also announces that its senior vice president of the iPod Division, Tony Fadell, and his wife Danielle Lambert, who is vice president of Human Resources, are reducing their roles within the company as they devote more time to their young family. While, Fadell will remain part of Apple as an advisor to Steve Jobs, Lambert will be leaving Apple at the end of the year but not before someone else is found to fill her chair.

I'm thinking Microsoft this time. You?