Phil Schiller steps up to Apple Fellow

A rare shake‑up of the senior leadership. Jason Cross reports

After more than 30 years at Apple, Phil Schiller is transitioning his role from Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing to Apple Fellow. Greg Joswiak will be promoted to fill that position.

Phil Schiller has been a mainstay of Apple events for as long as anyone can remember. Apple’s press release quotes him as saying: “I first started at Apple when I was 27, this year I turned 60 and it is time for some planned changes in my life. I’ll keep working here as long as they

will have me, I bleed six colours, but I also want to make some time in the years ahead for my family, friends and a few personal projects I care deeply about.”

Schiller’s words make it sound as though he is getting ready to retire, or at least ‘semi‑retire’, and is transitioning away from most of his duties at Apple. While Apple is framing Schiller’s new role as an advancement – and indeed he will attain a position of high esteem within the company – it is a clear reduction in his role and influence. Schiller will continue to report directly to Tim Cook, and will continue to lead the App Store and Apple Events.

His replacement as Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing is Greg Jozwiak, who has been with Apple in various marketing roles for more than 20 years and was VP of Worldwide Product Marketing under Schiller for the past four years. The Worldwide Marketing group he leads is responsible for Apple’s product management and product marketing, developer relations, market research and business management, as well as education, enterprise and international marketing.

While these sorts of senior‑level shake‑ups are rare at Apple, it doesn’t sound like we’re in for a dramatic change in the way Apple handles its marketing. Phil Schiller will still be a visible face within the company (as he is in charge of Apple Events), and his old role is being filled by a long‑time Apple marketing exec who worked under him.