Apple Names Deirdre O’Brien Its VP Of People

Apple recently announced in a press release that Deirdre O’Brien, former vice president of worldwide sales and operations, has been named vice president of people. O’Brien’s new role will see her leading all human resource functions including talent development, recruiting, benefits, compensation and business support, as well as overseeing Apple University.

O’Brien, a nearly 30-year veteran of the company, will take on her new role at Apple in the fall, reporting to CEO Tim Cook.

“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,” said Cook. “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 has played a key role in every hardware product launch over the past 20 years. In her current role as vice president of worldwide sales and operations, O’Brien and her team are dedicated to delivering the best products to Apple customers everywhere. The company noted her current 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.

“I love Apple and, like so many of my colleagues, I’m honored to have made it my life’s work,” said O’Brien. “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 her bachelor’s degree in operations management from Michigan State University and an MBA from San Jose State University.