Angela Ahrendts has officially taken the reins of Apple’s new Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores. Ahrendts’s last day as the CEO of Burberry was yesterday, and Apple’s website has been updated to reflect Ahrendts beginning her work at Apple today. Her biography, which can be found on Apple’s executive leadership website, explains her role at Apple:
Angela Ahrendts is Apple’s senior vice president of retail and online stores, reporting to CEO Tim Cook. Angela is responsible for the operation and expansion of Apple retail and online stores, which have redefined the shopping experience for hundreds of millions of customers around the world. Apple retail stores set the standard for customer service with innovative features like the Genius Bar, personal setup and one-to-one personal training to help customers get the most out of their Apple products.
The biography also provides a quick recap of her experience in retail and accolades:
Angela joined Apple from Burberry, where she served as CEO and led the company through a period of outstanding global growth. Prior to Burberry, she was executive vice president at Liz Claiborne Inc., and earlier in her career she served as president of Donna Karan International. Angela holds a Marketing and Merchandising degree from Ball State University in Indiana, where she was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2010. She is also a member of the UK’s Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council and was named honorary dame commander of the British Empire in April 2014.
Last week, Tim Cook announced that Ahrendts would “join the Apple team” this week, but the Apple CEO did not specify an exact start date. We understand that Ahrendts is already planning a presentation to retail staff regarding her plans for Apple retail.
Apple announced Ahrendts appointment last fall, and Tim Cook told Apple employees via an internal memo that Ahrendts is the “best person in the world for this role.” Her role is unique in that this is the first time that Apple will have a Senior Vice President covering both retail and online stores. Apple’s previous head of retail was John Browett, and he only remained at the company for roughly six months due to cultural incompatibilities. Apple’s previous Head of Online Stores was Jennifer Bailey, but Bailey has since shifted her role into leading the development of an iTunes-based mobile payments service. Apple recently poached Bob Kupbens from Delta to be the Vice President of Online Stores.
A photo of the newly complete Apple executive biographies page (the page is ordered alphabetically after CEO Cook):
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This is as blue blooded as it gets folks.
Wow, Angela’s profile photo is brighter than all the other executives’.
Good work on Tim for poaching her. This is the first step towards the un-geekification of technology. I can’t help but feel excited about the future of Apple through her efforts.
Apple needs to update Jony’s bio page. They don’t mention his knighthood but they do mention Angela’s being an honorary dame.
Beautiful and competent.
She’s wearing Burberry…
Congratulations to you Angela
Within 7 years she will be CEO. During her time at Apple she will double their PC marketshare within those 7 years and become known as the next Steve Jobs. She is going to revolutionize Apple the same way Steve brought it back from the dead. She is the most under-stated hire Apple has ever made. You watch!
Um no. I agree that she is the must under-stated hire that Apple has made, but Tim Cook isn’t going anywhere. I think he loves this company way too much, and wants to keep the culture in place. Angela will no doubt leave her mark on Apples new retail experience.
There was a great video about what she was planning to do with Burberry retail, and I expect those same great aspirations for Apple.
On another note, the idea that an outsider would become the CEO before leadership that have been around for ages like Phil Schiller, and Eddie Cue is one absurd thing. To suggest she’s going to revolutionize Apple like Steve jobs? Insane.
Great products revolutionize a company. If anything, the Jony Ive & Craig Federighi partnership will have more to do with Apple’s success than her. Is she going to play a huge role in selling the amazing products? Absolutely, but lets not get crazy.
I only hope she will treat the retail employees better than John B who just wanted to get rid of everyone. I hope she understands that the people on the front lines that make Apple all of its money and work through all of the holidays need to eat, pay mortgage and rent, buy cars, pay utilities, raise there children and so on. And Apple retail employees do way more than your typical retail employee. They deserve better salaries which would help retention which would also help training stay at its highest level if there was less turn over. More sales would come from retail employees that were compensated better, I’m sure of that.
This is pretty sad. When you take a woman from a handbag industry and put her into a tech industry, it can all just go wrong. Theres a reason why the top executives are all men, because they’re the capable sex, that made Apple what it is today.
Whats next? Louis Vuitton people coming over too?
Since when did those type of wasteful products ever contribute something towards society other than giving “smart” ladies some bling?
Seems like a good strong team – no Company can be just one person these days. Now let us allow this team to get on and invent and innovate !