Apple iOS chief Forstall leaving in management shakeup
Scott Forstall, who leads iOS software development, and John Browett, head of its retail operations, are leaving Apple, in a management shakeup.
The responsibilities of the two executives will be spread among others including Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi.
Cue, Apple’s SVP of Internet software and services, will assume leadership of Siri and Maps, placing all the company’s online services in one group.
The launch of Apple Maps under Forstall in iOS 6, in particular, has proven a debacle for the company, with CEO Tim Cook taking the unusual step of publicly apologizing for problems with the app.
Jony Ive, the head of industrial design for Apple, will take on more software responsibility “to provide leadership and direction for Human Interface (HI) across the company,” and Craig Ferighi will lead both iOS and OS X.
On top of that, Bob Mansfield will lead a new group, Technologies, which combines all of Apple’s wireless teams across the company in one organization, fostering innovation in this area at an even higher level.
The search is already underway for a new retail head to succeed Browett, who is out after joining the company only in April. His departure follows Apple issuing a separate apology in August in connection with plans to cut back on staffing and hourly shifts at its stores.
Forstall, a 15-year veteran of Apple considered one of the original architects of Mac OS X, will serve as an adviser to Cook on an interim basis before leaving next year.
[WSJ]