Phil Schiller steps down from leading the App Store and Apple events

Phil Schiller is stepping down from his role leading the App Store and Apple events, according to a new Bloomberg report. The move is the latest progression of Schiller’s tenure at Apple, which spans multiple decades.

Phil Schiller will remain an ‘Apple Fellow’ for now

Schiller was Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing until 2020, when he transitioned into a new “Apple Fellow” role. Greg Joswiak took over the SVP marketing role at that point.

When Apple announced Schiller’s transition to Apple Fellow, it said he would continue to lead the App Store and Apple events. In 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that Schiller was still working “nearly 80 hours a week.”

Despite stepping down as head of the App Store and Apple events, Schiller will remain an Apple Fellow and work on “unspecified initiatives.” Still, the report says that Apple employees believe this is a “big step” toward Schiller eventually retiring.

In conjunction with Schiller’s departure, Bloomberg reports that Apple is shifting leadership of the App Store to its services team led by Eddy Cue.

With the latest change, Apple is moving responsibility for the App Store over to the services division run by executive Eddy Cue. He previously oversaw the App Store until 2015, when that job was given to Schiller and the marketing department. Cue is taking on a more influential role under Ternus, Bloomberg has reported.

On a day-to-day basis, the App Store will be led by Carson Oliver, a veteran of the department who is now reporting directly to Cue. Two years ago, Schiller split up responsibility for the App Store among two direct reports, Oliver and Ann Thai.

Leadership of Apple events, meanwhile, is being handed to Nola Weinstein, who “has led that function as Schiller’s deputy since 2023.” Weinstein will report to Kristin Huguet Quayle, Apple’s VP of communications and public relations.

The big news of the day, of course, is that today marks Tim Cook’s last day as Apple CEO. John Ternus will take the keys on Tuesday. Cook commemorated his last day as CEO in a memo to Apple employees, which you can read here.