Apple’s Phil Schiller Steps Down from Running App Store, Product Events

Apple Inc.'s Phil Schiller, a prominent and influential executive during both Steve Jobs and Tim Cook's leadership, has resigned from his position overseeing the App Store and product events. Schiller, who was Apple's senior vice president of marketing from 2010 until 2020, made the announcement recently, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Throughout his Apple career, Schiller played a crucial role in introducing several of the company's most significant products and served as a key decision-maker for various new devices, such as the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and numerous Mac models. Together with Jobs, Schiller also spearheaded the creation of the App Store.

The departure of Schiller precedes John Ternus's appointment as Apple's chief executive officer, which is set to take place on Tuesday. Tim Cook, who succeeded Jobs in 2011 and spent 15 years leading the company, will assume the role of executive chairman. While relinquishing his last two major responsibilities, Schiller will continue to hold his Apple Fellow title and will work on unspecified initiatives, according to employees who requested anonymity due to the change not yet being officially announced. A spokesperson for Apple declined to provide further comment.

Industry observers believe that Schiller's step toward potential retirement is a significant move, as it also highlights one of the biggest challenges that Ternus will face as CEO: dealing with a series of departures by veteran leaders within the company. Among those leaving or planning to leave are Apple's previous general counsel and head of the Pay division, who are scheduled to depart in October, as reported by Bloomberg News.

Other notable exits include Apple's former operations chief, Jeff Williams, former head of hardware, Dan Riccio, finance chief Luca Maestri, and head of environment and government affairs, Lisa Jackson. With these recent changes, Apple is transferring responsibility for the App Store to the services division, which is overseen by Eddy Cue.

Cue, who previously managed the App Store until 2015, is now assuming a more influential role under Ternus. Carson Oliver, a veteran of the department, will lead daily operations, reporting directly to Cue. Ann Thai, who previously oversaw app distribution tools and third-party marketplaces, will now report to Oliver. Eddy Cue's responsibilities will also encompass the Apple Arcade gaming service, with Alex Rofman, the leader of that team, reporting to Oliver as well.

For Schiller, his former App Store role extended beyond merely managing a platform estimated to generate over $30 billion annually. He was primarily responsible for approving or rejecting controversial apps and managing software developers. He also played a pivotal role in implementing new App Store policies and revenue share rates following lawsuits and new regulations.

Furthermore, Schiller faced off against Fortnite creator Epic Games Inc. in a protracted legal battle over in-app purchases. Apart from the App Store, Schiller continued to lead Apple's events team following his departure from the marketing role in 2020. This group is responsible for global functions, including product launches.

Schiller will now hand over this oversight to Nola Weinstein, who has served as his deputy since 2023. Weinstein will report to Kristin Huguet Quayle, Apple's vice president of communications and public relations. Apple is scheduled to hold its next event on September 9 to introduce a foldable iPhone and new Apple Watches.