Skip to main content
BoF Logo

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Apple Retail Chief Angela Ahrendts Departs

The former Burberry CEO led retail and online stores at the tech company for five years.
Angela Ahrendts in 2018 | Source: David M. Benett/Getty Images
By
  • Reuters

PALO ALTO, United States — Apple said on Tuesday that Angela Ahrendts, the chief of its retail operations, will leave the company in April to pursue new opportunities.

Ahrendts joined Apple in 2014 after serving as CEO of fashion retailer Burberry and was among the iPhone maker's highest-paid executives. During her tenure, the company re-worked its retail stores with an emphasis on Apple's appeal as a luxury brand and opened locations in pricey districts, such as a glass-walled store on Chicago's Michigan Avenue last fall.

She also oversaw a program called "Today at Apple" in which the iPhone maker held regular events at its stores to teach children how to code and show customers how to use its software for creating and editing videos and photos, for example.

“I want to thank Angela for inspiring and energizing our teams over the past five years,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a news release. “She has been a positive, transformative force, both for Apple’s stores and the communities they serve. We all wish her the very best as she begins a new chapter.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Apple named Deirdre O'Brien as senior vice president of "Retail + People" to replace Ahrendts. O'Brien has worked at Apple for more than 30 years.

By Stephen Nellis with Vibhuti Sharma; Editor: Sai Sachin Ravikumar and Dan Grebler

In This Article

© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from Retail
Analysis and advice from the front lines of the retail transformation.

Why Esprit’s Ambitious Rebrand Fell Short

The company is in talks with potential investors after filing for insolvency in Europe and closing its US stores. Insiders say efforts to restore the brand to its 1980s heyday clashed with its owners’ desire to quickly juice sales in order to attract a buyer.


How Adidas Sambas Took Over the World

The humble trainer, once the reserve of football fans, Britpop kids and the odd skateboarder, has become as ubiquitous as battered Converse All Stars in the 00s indie sleaze years.


view more

Subscribe to the BoF Daily Digest

The essential daily round-up of fashion news, analysis, and breaking news alerts.

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON
The Business of Beauty Global Awards - Deadline 30 April 2024
© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy and Accessibility Statement.
The Business of Beauty Global Awards - Deadline 30 April 2024