Technology major Apple has promoted Apple Watch project head Jeff Williams as the chief operating officer (COO).
Apple has appointed a COO at a time when the Apple iPhone 6 smartphone is getting poor demand in the global devices market. In fact, Apple may report a lower than expected iPhone sales during the latest quarter, according to several global media reports.
The position of COO has been vacant since Tim Cook took over as chief executive officer of Apple in 2011.
The promotion of Jeff Williams reflects the huge success of Apple Watch, its first wearable product. Apple Watch is the leader in the global smart watch industry — ahead of Samsung. The Korean consumer electronics major recently announced a new head for its mobile phone division.
Telecom market research agency Canalys says Apple has shipped nearly 7 million smart watches since launch. In Q3 Apple was the only smart watch vendor to ship more than 300,000 units. Samsung’s Gear shipments declined ahead of the Q4 release of the Gear S2.
APPLE MAKES CHANGES
# Jeff Williams becomes COO
# Phil Schiller gets additional duties of Apple App Store
# Tor Myhren to head marketing communications
# Johny Srouji to head harware technologies
Williams, who until recently was senior vice president of operations, joined Apple in 1998 and has been in charge of the iPhone maker’s supply chain and service and support operations, as well has looking after the company’s social responsibility initiatives which protect more than one million workers worldwide.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said: “Jeff is hands-down the best operations executive I’ve ever worked with, and Johny’s team delivers world-class silicon designs which enable new innovations in our products year after year.”
Apple also said it would expand the responsibilities of global marketing chief Phil Schiller to include leading the Apple App Store.
Phil Schiller will focus on strategies to extend the ecosystem Apple customers have come to love when using their iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Phil now leads nearly all developer-related functions at Apple, in addition to his other marketing responsibilities including Worldwide Product Marketing, international marketing, education and business marketing.
Apple has also appointed Tor Myhren, chief creative officer of advertising agency Grey New York – part of advertising giant WPP Plc, as vice president of marketing communications in the first quarter of 2016.
Apple said Johny Srouji is joining its executive team as senior vice president for Hardware Technologies. In nearly eight years at Apple as vice president of Hardware Technologies, Johny Srouji has built teams of silicon and technology engineers, overseeing custom silicon and hardware technologies.
Vina Krishnan
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