Apple Promotes Vanessa Trigub to Global Retail Head, Streamlines Management

Apple Inc. is set to appoint Vanessa Trigub as the new global retail head, marking a significant management restructuring within its retail division. This move is aimed at streamlining the management structure under the leadership of senior vice president Deirdre O'Brien. Trigub, who previously managed retail operations in the Western United States, will now oversee retail managers across Europe, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Eastern United States. This promotion and the new reporting structure will grant Trigub additional responsibilities while simplifying the retail organization.

O'Brien will continue to oversee the entire retail department, but the changes will reduce the number of direct reports she manages. Previously, she was responsible for managing retail heads in various regions directly. Now, her direct reports will include Trigub and the vice presidents in charge of retail real estate, marketing, and online sales. Additionally, O'Brien is in the process of restructuring the human resources department following the departure of the former chief people officer, who left the position after less than two years.

Apple's retail network consists of approximately 535 stores worldwide. Since O'Brien took over the retail division in 2019, the leadership has remained relatively stable. Industry insiders speculate that Apple may be grooming Trigub as a potential successor to O'Brien, who has been with the company for over 30 years. As several high-ranking executives approach retirement age, Apple has been actively discussing succession plans.

This management shakeup is the second significant change within Apple's leadership in recent days. Last week, CEO Tim Cook expressed a lack of confidence in the AI division head, leading to the appointment of the Vision Pro head to oversee the Siri voice assistant business. This restructuring highlights Apple's urgency in catching up with competitors in the AI sector and its efforts to revitalize the technology team.