According to a Bloomberg report, Phil Schiller, Apple's veteran leader who worked closely with Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, has stepped down from running the App Store and Apple's product launch events. The 66-year-old executive, who served as Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing until 2020, will remain at the company as an 'Apple Fellow' and work on 'unspecified initiatives'. As reported by Bloomberg, many workers believe this transition represents a significant step toward Schiller's eventual retirement. Apple hasn't publicly announced the transition, which was first reported by Bloomberg. The move represents the latest progression of Schiller's tenure at Apple, which spans multiple decades, with Schiller reportedly working nearly 80 hours a week as recently as 2024. Schiller's exit follows a series of other high-level departures for the iPhone maker, including the recent loss of Jeff Williams, who retired in December after 27 years with the company, and the retirement of Lisa Jackson, vice president for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, also announced in December.
The App Store responsibilities will return to the services division led by Eddy Cue, who previously ran the platform until 2015 when Schiller's team took over. Carson Oliver will now manage the App Store daily operations, reporting directly to Cue, with Ann Thai and Alex Rofman also reporting to Oliver. According to Bloomberg, Schiller previously split the work between Oliver and Thai, with Thai now reporting to Oliver. The product launch event responsibilities will be handled by Nola Weinstein, Schiller's assistant since 2023, who will report to Kristin Huguet Quayle, vice president of communications. The first event under Weinstein's leadership takes place on September 9, where we're expecting to see the iPhone 18 Pro models, new Apple Watch variants and the company's first foldable iPhone.
This leadership change occurs right before John Ternus takes over as the new CEO on September 1, with Tim Cook transitioning from CEO to executive chairman. As reported by Bloomberg, Schiller's move highlights one of the biggest tests for Ternus as new CEO, as he must deal with many of Apple's older leaders leaving. Other veteran leaders including Jeff Williams, Dan Riccio, Luca Maestri, and Lisa Jackson have stepped down or taken smaller roles, with Apple's past general counsel and Apple Pay head also leaving in October. It appears Apple is taking this opportunity to restructure its teams, with Cue taking on a more influential role under Ternus as part of the leadership transition. The departure from operational duties comes immediately ahead of Ternus assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer.
The App Store transition is particularly significant given its estimated annual revenue of more than $30 billion, making it a crucial revenue engine for Apple. As reported by Investing.com, Schiller's step back underscores a broader generational shift across Apple's executive suite as Ternus inherits a rapidly evolving leadership team. A wave of departures by longtime leaders, including upcoming exits in legal and payments, alongside recent leadership changes across operations, finance, hardware, and government affairs, presents an immediate organizational challenge for the incoming chief executive. The timing of these changes coincides with Apple preparing for its upcoming September 9 event, featuring its anticipated foldable iPhone and updated Apple Watch lineup. Schiller's exit follows a series of other high-level departures, including the recent loss of Paul Meade, Apple's vice president in charge of the Vision Pro headset, who left to join OpenAI in June, leading to a downsizing of the Vision Pro team that had lost around 100 employees as of two weeks ago.
