Apple is experiencing another executive shift as Carol Surface, its first-ever Chief People Officer, prepares to exit the company. Surface, who assumed her role in March 2023, will be stepping down after being a pivotal figure in Apple's human resources landscape.

Background on Surface's Role

Carol Surface joined Apple to take over human resource responsibilities from Deirdre O’Brien, marking her as the exclusive Chief People Officer reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook. O’Brien, with a legacy of 30 years at Apple, had previously combined retail and HR management until the appointment of Surface allowed her to dedicate her focus solely to Apple’s retail operations. Surface’s duties included overseeing talent development, Apple University, recruitment, employee relations, diversity initiatives, and benefits.

Surface's Professional Journey

Before her stint at Apple, Surface garnered extensive experience in the human resources field. She served over a decade at Medtronic as Executive Vice President of Human Resources and held significant positions at Best Buy and PepsiCo, contributing substantially to each firm’s HR strategies.

Impact of Surface's Departure

With Surface's departure, Deirdre O'Brien is set to resume her dual role, managing both retail and people operations at Apple. This transition represents just one in a series of recent changes within Apple's executive team.

Apple's internal dynamics and management structure continue to evolve, and it's expected that these shifts will bring further strategic developments within the company.

For further details, refer to the original report from 9to5Mac.