Phil Schiller is leaving his biggest jobs at Apple
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Phil Schiller, one of Apple's longest-serving executives, has stepped down from his roles running the App Store and Apple's product launch events, according to a Bloomberg report. The move landed just a day before hardware chief John Ternus succeeded Tim Cook as Apple CEO on 1 September, and it marks the departure of another senior figure amid a broader reshuffle of the company's top ranks around the leadership transition.
Schiller, who joined Apple in 1987, led marketing from 1997 until handing that role to Greg Joswiak in 2020, and had headed the App Store since 2015 after helping launch it with Steve Jobs in 2008. He retains his Apple Fellow title and will continue working on unspecified projects, while the App Store — which processed more than $1.4 trillion in transactions last year — moves under services chief Eddy Cue, with Carson Oliver continuing to run it day-to-day alongside Ann Thai. His exit adds to a string of recent senior departures at Apple, including former CFO Luca Maestri, COO Jeff Williams, design chief Alan Dye, AI head John Giannandrea and environmental lead Lisa Jackson, alongside general counsel Kate Adams being replaced by Jennifer Newstead.
- Phil Schiller steps down as App Store and Apple events chief
- App Store moves to services boss Eddy Cue; Carson Oliver keeps running it
- Exit adds to wave of senior Apple departures ahead of Ternus's tenure as CEO
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Apple's leadership is changing hands: John Ternus takes over as chief executive from Tim Cook on 1 September, and this handover has been accompanied by a wider reshuffle of senior executives. Phil Schiller is one of the company's longest-serving figures, having joined Apple in 1987. He led the company's marketing for over two decades and helped create the App Store alongside Steve Jobs, later running that business himself.
The App Store matters because it is the main way people get software onto iPhones and iPads, and it generates enormous revenue for Apple through commissions on app sales and subscriptions. Control over it, and over how Apple stages its high-profile product launch events, has therefore been an influential role within the company.
Schiller's departure from these two positions is part of a broader pattern of senior figures leaving or changing roles around the time of the CEO transition, including Apple's finance chief, operations chief, design lead and others. This matters because it signals a significant generational shift at the top of one of the world's largest companies, with new executives taking charge of key parts of the business.
More coverage
- TechCrunch — Apple’s top App Store exec, Phil Schiller, follows wave of exits as CEO Tim Cook steps down
- Engadget — Phil Schiller reportedly steps down as Apple's App Store and product event chief