Following a huge drop in iPhone sales last year, experts predicted that Apple will now shift its focus for its 2019 priorities. The tech giant's move of regrouping its leadership and management team has been translated as a turning point for the smartphone maker.
In mid-2018, Doug Field made a comeback and was positioned to oversee Project Titan, Apple's ambitious self-driving car program. Field left the Cupertino-based iPhone maker to join Tesla as its Senior Vice President of Engineering. Upon his return to Apple, he was chosen to lead 1,400 people under the autonomous driving department.
Business Insider noted that the company is now looking to prioritize other arms of the business including autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, and digital services. Experts believe the leadership and focus shifts are part of the tech firm's efforts in reducing its dependence on the once mega-popular iPhone.
Details about Project Titan are still unclear but in 2017, CEO Tim Cook implied that instead of producing autonomous vehicles, Apple will use the project to venture into self-driving car software. At that time, he called it "the mother of all AI projects."
Aside from Field's return, Apple also made another big leadership change in the form of John Giannandrea's promotion to Senior Vice President of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Strategy. He was previously part of Google's AI team before he was hired by Apple.
Bill Stasior's successor is now the overseer of Siri, Apple's virtual assistant that consumers use for voice questions and recommendations. With Giannandrea's promotion, it is expected that the company will further incorporate Siri into its products as digital assistant services continue to thrive in the global tech industry.
Finally, Apple made one of its biggest leadership changes yet with Deirdre O'Brien's succession of Angela Ahrendts position as retail chief. O'Brien had been with the company for the past 30 years and is now responsible for the tech provider's 70,000 retail employees spread across 500 stores around the world.
Analysts suggested that O'Brien's new position is part of the company's plans in showcasing services in its retail stores. It is expected that under O'Brien's rule, televisions will be installed in stores so as to promote original shows that Apple will produce.
In its official press release about the succession earlier this month, Ahrendts said of her successor, "I feel there is no better time to pass the baton to Deirdre, one of Apple's strongest executives."
While Apple will still work on its smartphone department, experts suggested that the recent changes in focus could revive the company's growth rates in the coming years.
