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Apple’s recent gold iPhone 5s partnership with British luxury brand Burberry must have been quite the success, because Cupertino has now managed to hire away the company’s CEO for its own retail efforts.
Apple announced Monday that Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts will be joining the company next spring in a newly-created position as Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores, where she’ll report directly to CEO Tim Cook.
Although it’s not a direct replacement for former retail VPs Ron Johnson or John Browett, Cook is empowering Ahrendts to oversee the “strategic direction, expansion and operation of both Apple retail and online stores.”
“I am thrilled that Angela will be joining our team,” said Cook. “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.”
The former Liz Claiborne and Donna Karan executive apparently feels the same way, despite moving from her CEO perch into what could be viewed as a lesser position with Apple, where she had been rumored to be on a short list of candidates for the position.
“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,” said Ahrendts. “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.”
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