Apple retail boss Angela Ahrendts quits

Angela Ahrendts has quit her role as Apple’s head of retail following five years with the technology retailer, and will vacate her post in April.

Apple has not given a reason for the retail boss’s departure, following a mixed year for the company which saw it secure a trillion dollar valuation before seeing its stocks fall following news that the new iPhone had not sold as well as predicted.

Former Burberry boss, Ahrendts, has been a regular feature at the company’s press conferences speaking on new stores, live events, and free tutorials for new buyers. She is set to be replaced by the vice-president of the company’s people department, Deirdre O’Brien, who has been with the company for 30 years.

Ahrendts said: “The last five years have been the most stimulating, challenging and fulfilling of my career. Through the teams’ collective efforts, retail has never been stronger or better positioned to make an even greater contribution for Apple.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook, said: “I want to thank Angela for inspiring and energising our teams over the past five years. 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.”