Tim Cook announced that Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry, will be joining Apple in a newly created position, as a senior vice president and member of the executive team.
Ahrendts will have oversight of the strategic direction, expansion and operation of both 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.
Ahrendts will start in the Spring. Let’s hope she can bring some stability to the position. Ron Johnson really built the retail foundation at Apple, leaving in 2011 for an ill-fated run at JC Penney. John Browett replaced Johnson, but was at Apple less than a year.
She’s a much better fit than Browett. At Burberry she greatly increased their retail footprint, and the Burberry stores I’ve been in are nice. Less, “high-end art gallery” than many designer boutiques (I’m looking at you Prada), and much more welcoming.
This is much better. Someone that, presumably, understands a luxury brand.
Very interesting and a great luxury brand. Surely this individual will know how to treat Apple customers properly.
Only Apple can get a CEO of a leading luxury brand to move to Apple and be an SVP.
She took a tired, ailing brand from near commercial death to a vibrant customer focused success in 8 years.
Hhhmmmmm, sounds familiar.
A much better fit than Browett. Interesting that she has come from fashion retail.
Well, that’s not completely true. Burberry’s turn-around from “tired, ailing brand from near commercial death” was really the work of Ms. Ahrendts’ boss and predecessor as CEO, Rose Marie Bravo, and Creative Director Christopher Bailey. What she did was keep the momentum going as well as greatly increase the number of Burberry retail outlets. Clearly it’s expected she’ll do the same thing at Apple.