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Angela Ahrendts, Apple's retail leader, will leave the company in April, Apple said this afternoon. Ahrendts joined Apple in the spring of 2014, after serving as CEO of Burberry as Director of Retail.
Deirdre O'Brien, currently head of Apple's Human Resources, will take over the company's retail and online sales activities. O'Brien will also continue to lead the Apple HR team. She has been with the company for three decades.
Ahrendts was a surprise choice when she joined Apple five years ago, after leaving her position as a leader of a large fashion company to fill that position. At the time, Apple was heading towards the release of the Apple Watch, which she had initially wanted to present as a luxury watch. This approach quickly failed and the company resumed its comprehensive consumer-oriented approach.
During his time at Apple, Ahrendts also oversaw a redesign of his store, introducing trees to stores and trying to turn them into "city squares." Apple has announced that it will be leaving for "new personal and professional activities".
Apple already has few women in its management team and the departure of Ahrendts removes one of the most valuable leaders of the company – a person experienced in running a large company. After joining Apple, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff wrote that it was "the largest hiring ever by Tim Cook" and that she would likely be the next CEO.
In a recent profile, Ahrendts hinted that she might be interested in coming back to fashion again. "There are things I miss in the fashion industry," said Ahrendts Voguesaying that she grew up in the industry and that she knew "all there is to know".
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