Apple's Chief People Officer is departing after a short tenure
Apple's Chief People Officer Carol Surface is leaving the company after less than two years in her position, reported Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter. The news of Surface's departure was shared with Apple employees on Wednesday, marking an unusually brief tenure for a senior executive. Surface joined Apple in early 2023 and was reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook.
Surface's role at Apple
Her role as Chief People Officer was created specifically for her, with responsibilities spanning human resources, inclusion, diversity, and recruitment for around 160,000 employees. Before joining Apple, Surface held a similar position at health technology firm Medtronic Plc.
Deirdre O'Brien to reassume responsibilities
With Surface's departure, Deirdre O'Brien will reassume the responsibilities of the people role. O'Brien had previously managed this team along with Apple's retail stores before Surface took over. While Surface still remains listed on Apple's executive biographies website as of Wednesday afternoon, an Apple spokesperson has confirmed the changes to Bloomberg.
Other executive changes at Apple
Surface's exit comes as part of a larger executive reshuffle at Apple. By the end of this year, CFO Luca Maestri will also leave his role but will continue to oversee certain functions such as real estate and information systems. Meanwhile, senior engineering executive Dan Riccio, who led the Vision Pro project, is retiring this month while Dan Rosckes, the company's procurement chief, and Matt Fischer, head of Apple's App Store are also leaving.
