Apple has announced that Deirdre O’Brien, vice president of Worldwide Sales and Operations, has been named vice president of People, reporting to CEO Tim Cook. A nearly 30-year Apple veteran, she will lead all HR functions including talent development, recruiting, benefits, compensation and business support, as well as overseeing Apple University.
“As long as I’ve been at Apple, Deirdre has been the glue that bonds our operations, sales, marketing and finance teams to deliver products to our customers,” Cook said in a press release. “Deirdre deeply understands Apple’s unique culture and that people join Apple to do the best work of their lives. She is a superb leader and I’m thrilled she will be bringing her experience and talent to this critical role.”
O’Brien joined Apple in 1988 and today runs a global organization dedicated to delivering the world’s best products to customers everywhere. Her role has required exceptional collaboration and leadership across many different parts of the company, and her team’s work has enabled Apple to simultaneously scale rapidly and provide an unmatched customer experience. O’Brien has played a key role in every Apple hardware product launch over the past 20 years.
“I love Apple and, like so many of my colleagues, I’m honored to have made it my life’s work,” she said. “I’m excited to begin this new chapter, supporting 120,000 incredibly talented people around the world who are motivated to do amazing things every day. It is a privilege to work among such a diverse and talented team, and to help them thrive here at Apple.”
O’Brien earned a bachelor’s degree in Operations Management from Michigan State University and an MBA from San Jose State University. She will assume her new role this fall.