Apple appointed Vanessa Trigub to a new global leadership role in its retail operations, marking a significant restructuring of the company's store management strategy.

According to sources cited by Bloomberg, Trigub has been promoted to vice president of stores and retail operations globally, a move that consolidates her previous responsibilities managing locations in the Americas West region. In her new position, she will oversee retail heads across Europe and the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas East region.

The restructuring is designed to streamline Apple's retail organisation under senior executive Deirdre O'Brien, who will now have fewer direct reports. O'Brien, a long-standing Apple veteran, returned last year to manage both retail and human resources operations.

Trigub's career at Apple is notable for its longevity and diversity. She began as an intern around the time of the original iPhone's launch and has since held roles in finance, mergers and acquisitions, and retail operations. In 2023, she was elevated to company vice president, taking control of retail operations in the Americas West region.

The leadership change comes as Apple's retail network continues to expand, currently comprising approximately 535 stores worldwide. Industry observers suggest the move could be part of a broader succession planning strategy, with Trigub potentially being groomed as a future leader.

"People involved in the retail group believe that the company could be grooming Trigub as a possible heir to O'Brien," the source told Bloomberg.

This latest management shift follows another recent change at Apple, where the company restructured its artificial intelligence leadership, moving Siri's management to Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell.

The retail leadership at Apple has remained relatively stable since O'Brien took over in 2019, succeeding Angela Ahrendts, the former chief executive officer of Burberry Group. Her predecessor, British executive John Browett, was notably removed after just six months in the role.

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