Tech giant Apple Inc. Operations undergo critical changes with the exit of its top executives. According to people who know the matter, the information systems division and online retail store in charge will be stepping down from his current role.
The Vice President of the online retail store, Anna Matthiasson, will be leaving soon as per sources who did not want to be identified as the changes are not yet made public. Mary Demby, Chief Information Officer, is retiring after three decades with the company.
The departures in recent weeks mean that Apple Inc. will be losing three vice presidents. These positions are at the highest level below the Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook Team. As per Bloomberg News, Vice President Evan Hankey oversees the industrial design and is quitting the company. Jane Horvath, the Chief Privacy Officer at Apple, also departed.
The spokesman of the company declined to comment on the recent departures.
Online and Physical Stores Mix
The coronavirus pandemic ensured that the online stress of the company became an important sales channel. Apple has spent the last few years trying to unify its policies and marketing across its physical stores and digital channels. In 2021, it redesigned its digital stores. The online store division will now be looked after by Karen Rasmussen, an earlier senior director in charge of eCommerce and digital experience, before taking up the current role.
The department, which Demby handles, is known as IS&T, and it handles Apple’s online services, website, and manufacturing technical infrastructure. The operations are considered the “nerve center” and allow employees to connect with others, customers, and suppliers. The division reports to the Chief Financial Officer, Luca Maestri.
High Attrition
It needs to be made clear who will succeed Demby after her retirement. In 2019, Apple hired David Smoley as Vice President of her Team, and Smoley previously worked as the Chief Information Officer at AstraZeneca Plc., the pharma giant.
Matthiasson, on the other hand, worked only for about three years in the role – a relatively short tenure compared to Demby. She was earlier working as an operations executive at Apple.
For the last several years, the online store has seen high attrition. Jennifer Bailey, the original head of the online business, left this role in 2014 to launch Apple pay. She is now overlooking Apple Card, Apple Wallet, and other consumer financial services. Bob Kupbens, his successor, left after two years for EBay Inc.
