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Apple Appoints Deirdre O'Brien to New 'Vice President of People' Role

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple today announced that it is promoting Deirdre O'Brien to a new head HR role, "vice president of People." O'Brien, who previously served as vice president of Worldwide Sales and Operations, has been at Apple for nearly 30 years.

According to the news release, O'Brien will lead all HR functions, like talent development, recruiting, benefits, compensation, and business support, plus she'll oversee Apple University, where employees are trained. She will be reporting directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

deirdre_obrien_apple_vp-800x546.jpg
"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 Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "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."
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O'Brien first joined Apple in 1988 and has had a "key role" in each Apple hardware product launch over the past 20 years. She will start her new position as vice president of People in the fall.
"I love Apple and, like so many of my colleagues, I'm honored to have made it my life's work," said Deirdre. "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."
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Apple has recently taken to announcing high profile hires and promotions on its news site, most recently sharing the hiring of Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, two former Sony Pictures executives who will lead Apple's original programming efforts, and the promotion of Isabel Ge Mahe to Managing Director of Greater China.

Article Link: Apple Appoints Deirdre O'Brien to New 'Vice President of People' Role
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/07/21/apple-appoints-vice-president-of-people/
Gorms

Gorms

macrumors 6502a
Aug 30, 2012
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More diversity at the top level is never a bad thing. Especially as the the rest of the VP’s hopefully aren’t going anywhere. Well, most of them... there is one guy who could leave and I wouldn’t be too bothered.
 
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N

NMBob

macrumors 68000
Sep 18, 2007
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I wonder if Apple is their own health insurance "company"? I'd think they could afford it.

Just something HR-ish that popped into my head.
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justperry said:
What an odd name "Deirdre", how do you pronounce that name?

Good luck to her though.
Click to expand...

deer-dra. Kinda. I'd guess.
 
rtomyj

rtomyj

macrumors 6502a
Sep 3, 2012
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Diversity - cool

Making up **** to fit a quota - not cool

I'm not one to know things about Apple - The Business Side, but this doesn't sound real.

Yo Apple, make me Vice President of Air. I'll make sure the campus' air quality is on par. I require 100K salary and stock though
 
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Olz

Olz

macrumors regular
Mar 22, 2017
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Based on the pictures Apple puts out, you'd think everyone at Apple wears an Apple Watch. It would be refreshing to see one of the execs wearing something else.
 
lazyrighteye

lazyrighteye

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Jan 16, 2002
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btrach144 said:
This is a direct move following Microsoft appointing Kathleen Hogan to the role of Chief People Officer two years ago.
She and her tittle were discussed in the news last week. Guess Apple thought it was a good idea.
http://college.usatoday.com/2017/07/20/hiba-cpo-kathleen-hogan-microsoft/
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Wait, hold on a sec - You seriously think Apple made a decision about an internal promotion based on a promotion within another company? One made 2 years ago? And further support this belief because Kathleen Hogan was recently the subject of a recurring USA Today series focussed on influential people and how they got where they are in their careers?

Dang.
 
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I

iLoveDeveloping

macrumors 6502a
Sep 24, 2009
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Most Irish name EVER! :-D By the way, its DEER DRAAA (A as in, Bark). It's a very common name in Ireland. I would assume one of her parents are Irish with two names like that.
 
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DoctorTech

DoctorTech

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Jan 6, 2014
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I applaud Apple for doing this. When I first started my career, the "Personnel Department" was involved in employee development and ensuring a pipeline of talent to fill open positions. They even got involved in personnel issues between front line employees and management. From my experience working for 4 Fortune 500 companies over the past 30 years, when companies shifted to the "Human Resources Department" they simply became an extension of management rather than serving more as a mediator between management and front line employees - they lost all focus on people as people and instead viewed everyone as a "resource" to be consumed, deployed, recycled or discarded.

I like Apple's emphasis on People as people rather than "resources".
 
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Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
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desmond2046 said:
So Denise Young Smith was Vice President of HR and recently became Vice President of Inclusion and Diversity. So what is this people thing? Are their roles overlapping?
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Sure seems like an overlap. Diversity & Inclusion could easily be a function/group inside of HR or just an executive council that reports to Cook at meets once a month/quarter. It doesn’t need to be a position with its own VP.
 
J

Jakexb

macrumors 6502a
Mar 18, 2014
798
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rtomyj said:
Diversity - cool

Making up **** to fit a quota - not cool

I'm not one to know things about Apple - The Business Side, but this doesn't sound real.

Yo Apple, make me Vice President of Air. I'll make sure the campus' air quality is on par. I require 100K salary and stock though
Click to expand...

I think the role is very real. It's HR but even broader than that since it's including culture things like Apple U.
I think it's the name that is weird. But HR roles consistently get euphemisms. Even "HR" was an attempt to sound nicer than things that came before it. Nobody likes to admit that "employees" have "jobs" at a "company"
 
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