On December 9, according to Bloomberg technology reporter Mark Gurman, Apple's head of iPhone and Apple Watch product design is leaving. Mark Gurman said that Tang Tan, who is now Apple's vice president of product design, will leave in February next year, which will lead to a "restructuring of the company's most critical product line", and the iPhone and Apple Watch will have new helms.
Screenshot of social platform.
People familiar with Apple's business said Tang Tan's departure was a blow to him who made key decisions about Apple's most important products. John Teernus has restructured the hardware engineering team he has taken over since 2021.
It is worth noting that within this week, two Apple executives have been rumored to have left. In addition to Tang Tan, Steve Hotelling, who was responsible for the iPhone's key technologies such as multi-touch screen, Touch ID and Face ID, was rumored to be retiring earlier this week.
According to Jiemian News, on December 7, Bloomberg Technology reporter Mark Gurman (Mark Gurman) posted that according to people familiar with the matter, Steve Hotelling, Apple's senior executive in charge of touchscreen technology, health sensors and Face ID interface, will leave. An Apple spokesperson declined to comment.
Hotelling will retire from Apple, where he most recently served as vice president, according to people familiar with the matter. It is reported that Hotelling's work includes some of the most complex and critical technologies used in the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, as well as the upcoming Vision Pro headset. The executive's name appears in hundreds of patents, including those related to iPhone and iPad multi-touch screens, and he is also known as one of the inventors of Touch ID.
Previously, a number of Apple executives left one after another.
According to the National Business Daily, Apple has lost at least 11 senior managers since the second half of 2022. Most of these individuals hold the title of vice president, just below the rank of senior vice president, which reports to CEO Tim Cook.
The departing individuals are Apple's most important leaders, responsible for the day-to-day operations of many core functions, including industrial design, retail, information systems, Apple cloud computing, hardware and software engineering, privacy and security, emerging market sales, subscription services, and procurement.
In past few years, Apple has typically lost one or two vice presidents within a 12-month window, such as the company's self-driving car project leader who moved to Ford Motor Company in 2021. Today, so many executives have left in just over half a year.
According to Bloomberg, we combed through Apple's executives who left the company since the middle of last year:
Every time it is cartographed.
What are the factors behind the departure of senior executives?
First, Apple has become more bureaucratic over the years, especially when it comes to product development. Apple is a global company, which can mean that it is difficult for individuals to make an impact, and the internal struggles within the company make things even more difficult to navigate. According to Bloomberg, Hankey, the outgoing head of industrial design, chose to leave because he lacked the authority to overturn engineering decisions made by other departments.
Second, Apple's resources are diverted to long-term projects that can take years to see results. However, the company's long-term projects, such as mixed reality headsets and self-driving cars, face frequent attrition that many managers are worried about.
Third, the burden of responsibility on managers is getting heavier, and Apple's corporate structure itself is stressful. Apple is organized by function, which means that a team contributes to all the important products. For example, a VP of hardware engineering needs to help oversee parts for iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, Macs, and AirPodsSoftware engineering leaders need to manage iOS, macOS, WatchOS, and tvOS operating systems.
While this structure makes sense early on and allows for the best use of one's strengths, it can also lead to delays in product development, overly dispersed resource allocation, and increased engineering complexity.
This problem (Apple's corporate structure) has not only led to the exodus of senior executives, but also to the loss of talent at the grassroots level of Apple. For example, at least 15 members of Apple's industrial design team have left since the Apple Watch was released, and many of the veteran designers who worked under Jony Ive have gone to his new company, LoveFrom.
Finally, and one of the biggest reasons for executive exodus, salary reductions. In 2022, Apple's stock price has accumulated by nearly 30% and its market value has evaporated by $1 trillion, which will inevitably put pressure on employee compensation. In the case of vice presidents, for example, more than half of the compensation will come from **income.
On March 10, 2023 local time, Apple shareholders approved a new compensation package, which includes a salary cut of more than 40%. In 2022, Cook's total compensation was approximately $99.4 million. This year's salary is about $49 million, including a base salary of $3 million, a cash bonus of $6 million, and a reward worth about $40 million. In other words, more than 80% of Cook's revenue in 2023 will come from **, and most of this is tied to the company's performance.
As of December 8, local time, Apple reported 195$71, up 074%, market capitalization 304 trillion dollars.
*: Daily economic news, interface news.
Editor: Wang Di.