Summary: Phil Schiller, 66, has removed himself from operational control of the App Store and Apple’s product launch events, while retaining an Apple Fellow title and focusing on unspecified initiatives. The move precedes a leadership transition in which John Ternus will become Chief Executive Officer and Tim Cook will transition to Executive Chairman. Apple is reallocating App Store oversight to the services division under Eddy Cue and handing daily marketplace management to Carson Oliver. Global product launches and events will be overseen by Nola Weinstein, who will report to Kristin Huguet Quayle.
Phil Schiller’s decision to step away from direct management of two high-profile areas at Apple marks a notable change in the company’s executive lineup. Schiller will remain employed by Apple with the Apple Fellow designation and will concentrate on initiatives the company has not specified. His move off operational duties arrives in advance of a planned shift in the chief executive role.
John Ternus is set to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer, while Tim Cook, who led Apple for 15 years following the era of Steve Jobs, will move into the Executive Chairman position. Schiller’s transition highlights a broader generational turnover within Apple’s leadership ranks as Ternus inherits a management team that has experienced multiple recent changes.
The company is reallocating responsibility for the App Store - a critical revenue generator estimated to produce more than $30 billion annually - to the services division led by Eddy Cue. Routine, day-to-day operations for the digital storefront will be directed by Carson Oliver, who will oversee app distribution, third-party marketplaces, and the Apple Arcade gaming service.
At the same time, oversight of global product launches and events will move to Nola Weinstein, previously Schiller’s deputy. Weinstein will report directly to Kristin Huguet Quayle, Apple’s Vice President of Communications and Public Relations. These event and communications adjustments occur as Apple prepares for its upcoming September 9 event, which is expected to include a foldable iPhone and refreshed Apple Watch models.
The personnel changes take place amid a wider pattern of long-tenured departures and recent leadership turnover at Apple. The company faces a wave of departures that includes upcoming exits in legal and payments, along with recent leadership changes across operations, finance, hardware, and government affairs. These shifts present an immediate organizational challenge for the incoming chief executive.
Schiller’s retention of an Apple Fellow role while ceding operational duties keeps him connected to the company but removes him from everyday oversight of two areas that have been central to Apple’s product and services strategy. The reassignment of responsibilities places App Store management firmly within the services organization and aligns event execution under communications leadership as Apple readies its next major product announcements.