According to a report by Bloomberg, long-time Apple executive Phil Schiller is stepping down from managing the App Store as well as overseeing Apple’s famous product launch events as the company undergoes one of the biggest leadership shifts in its history.
Schiller has been a key figure at Apple for decades, first joining the business in 1987 before returning alongside Steve Jobs in 1997. Over the years, he stood on stage next to Jobs and Tim Cook to introduce groundbreaking devices like the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
While he stepped out of his role as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing back in 2020 to take on the title of “Apple Fellow,” he held onto two massive responsibilities: running the App Store and directing the company’s keynote productions. Now, he is relinquishing both.
Schiller told staff that he intends to remain at the company under his Apple Fellow title to focus on unspecified internal projects. However, handing over these active responsibilities removes him from daily operational power.
The timing of Schiller’s move is no coincidence. It lands right as Tim Cook completes his final day as Apple Chief Executive Officer before moving up to Executive Chairman, passing the operational reins to incoming CEO John Ternus. With a fresh era beginning at the top, the company is reorganizing several critical divisions. Under the new arrangement, oversight of the App Store is moving back to Eddy Cue, who leads Apple’s Services division.
Cue previously managed the App Store prior to 2015, and his retaking control signals a closer union between Apple’s digital store and its subscription ecosystem. Day-to-day management of the App Store will be handled by Carson Oliver, a veteran member of the store’s leadership team. Meanwhile, direction of Apple events is shifting to Nola Weinstein, a deputy of Schiller who will now report directly to Vice President of Communications and Public Relations Kristin Huguet Quayle.
Insiders note that Schiller made his choice in the final days of Tim Cook’s tenure as chief executive. Managing the App Store in recent years brought intense regulatory pressure across Europe and the United States. By stepping back today, Schiller passes those ongoing political and legal headaches off to Cue and the new executive team.
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