Executive in charge of Apple's stores leaving immediately
BY Associated Press
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
10/30/12 at 4:10 AM
Apple Inc. shook up its executive ranks Monday, saying the head of its store operations is leaving after six months on the job, and the long-serving head of its iPhone software development operations is exiting next year.
Apple didn't say why retail Senior Vice President John Browett and iOS software SVP Scott Forstall were leaving, but both have presided over missteps this year.
Browett cut staffing hours at Apple's retail stores, a move the company reversed and acknowledged as a mistake. Forstall's division launched a software update in September that replaced Google Maps with Apple's first mapping application. It quickly drew unfavorable comparisons to the software it was replacing, and Apple apologized.
Browett's departure is immediate.
Browett took over the store operations after Ron Johnson, who helped create the Apple stores, left to become CEO at J.C. Penney Co. in November.
Apple has more than 360 stores, and they're unique in several ways. They sell more per square foot than any other chain in the U.S., yet they account for just 12 percent of Apple's overall sales. They're ambassadors of Apple's brand and provide customers with an easy way to access in-person technical support.
At the time Browett was appointed, commentators wondered what an executive from a traditional retail operation would bring to Apple. Browett's move to cut staffing appeared to be motivated by a desire to improve profits, but Apple divisions don't have their own profit-and-loss accounts; they're supposed to support the company as a whole.
Associated Images:
John Browett: He cut staffing hours at Apple's retail stores.
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