by 
The vacancy left behind by former Apple senior vice president of retail John Browett has yet to be filled. Obviously, there was some discussion current VP Jerry McDougal would take over the reins, but apparently he’s decided to resign. Cupertino has already named a successor to take McDougal’s place.
Apple confirmed the resignation of McDougal to AllThingsD on Tuesday afternoon. Apparently, the VP said his goodbyes earlier this month. The company will fill the retail role with Jim Bean, the former VP of finance with Apple.
“Retail has an incredibly strong network of leaders at the store and regional level, and they will continue the excellent work they’ve done over the past decade to revolutionize retailing with unique, innovative services and a focus on the customer that is second to none,” Apple’s Steve Dowling told AllThingsD. “Jim Bean is moving to retail to help support our store teams. Jim has been at Apple for 15 years and is a great leader who understands our culture and focus on customer service.”
The exact reasons for McDougal’s departure remain unclear. While he seemed like a shoe-in for the SVP of retail gig, his sudden resignation leaves a few questions unanswered. Namely, did the open retail lead position have something to do with McDougal stepping down?
