Phil Schiller is stepping back from his role overseeing the App Store and Apple events, marking another major leadership change at Apple as the company prepares for John Ternus to take over as CEO.
According to Bloomberg via 9to5Mac, Schiller will no longer lead the App Store or Apple’s product events, although he will remain at the company as an Apple Fellow and continue working on unspecified projects.
Schiller, one of Apple’s longest-serving and most recognizable executives, previously served as the company’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing before moving into the Apple Fellow role in 2020. At the time, Apple said Schiller would continue to oversee the App Store and Apple events, two of the company’s most high-profile areas.
The latest change means responsibility for the App Store is now moving back to Apple’s Services division, led by Eddy Cue. Cue previously oversaw the App Store before Schiller took on the role in 2015.
On a day-to-day basis, Bloomberg reports that the App Store will now be led by Carson Oliver, a longtime App Store executive who will report directly to Cue. Schiller had previously split App Store responsibilities between Oliver and Ann Thai.
Apple’s events team is also changing hands, with Nola Weinstein reportedly taking over leadership of Apple product events. Weinstein has worked as Schiller’s deputy on events since 2023 and will now report to Kristin Huguet Quayle, Apple’s Vice President of Communications and Public Relations.
While Schiller is not leaving Apple, the move is being viewed internally as a significant step toward his eventual retirement. Schiller has been one of the most influential figures in Apple’s modern history, appearing on stage for major product launches and helping shape the company’s marketing, developer relations, App Store strategy, and keynote presentations.
The leadership change comes on a significant day for Apple, with Tim Cook’s final day as Apple CEO taking place today before John Ternus officially takes over on September 1.
Cook has also marked his final day as CEO with an emotional memo to Apple employees, thanking staff for the “privilege of a lifetime” leading the company and praising Ternus as the right person to take Apple forward.
The timing means Apple is entering a new leadership era across several major parts of the company. Ternus is preparing to become CEO, Cook is moving to Executive Chairman, Cue is taking on a larger role around the App Store, and Schiller is stepping further back from the areas he has led for years.
Apple’s first major event under its new leadership structure is expected to take place on September 9, when the company is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable iPhone, rumored to launch as iPhone Ultra.
