Apple announces first Chief People Officer

In a move that restructures how Apple hires and supports employees, the tech company has hired Carol Surface as its Chief People Officer.

Surface, who joins Apple from medical device company Medtronic, takes over the HR responsibilities from Deirdre O’Brien, who will now solely concentrate on her roles as Apple’s SVP of Retail and People.

In a memo to employees, Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said, “When Deirdre took on the dual role of leading both the retail and people teams, we agreed that as she built up and supported both the retail and People Team and helped create a more inclusive Apple, we would also prepare to transition to a dedicated leader to take the organisation forward.”

Reporting to Cook, Surface will begin her new role in March and will oversee a workforce that numbered 164,000 at the end of Apple’s last fiscal year in September.

In a separate statement, Apple added, “[Surface] brings an incredible depth of experience, which will be invaluable in supporting our teams around the world and building on everything that makes Apple so special,” Bloomberg reported.