Apple’s chief people officer, who reports directly to Tim Cook, is leaving the company after less than 2 years

• Apple Chief People Officer Carol Surface is leaving after less than two years, Bloomberg reports.
• Surface’s exit adds to the number of top-ranking employees set to leave or switch roles soon.
• Surface reported directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Apple’s chief people officer is leaving the company after less than two years, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

Carol Surface, who had reported directly to CEO Tim Cook, oversaw HR at Apple, including recruiting, employee relations, and inclusion and diversity. An Apple spokesperson confirmed the move to Bloomberg.

Her departure comes as at least four other executives are set to either leave the company or change roles.

In September, Matt Fischer, head of Apple’s App Store, announced on LinkedIn that he’d be leaving the company this month after 21 years. He wrote that now was the “right moment to pass the baton” as Apple reorganizes his team to manage new challenges and opportunities.

Luca Maestri, chief financial officer, plans to step down from his role in January but will continue to report to Cook as head of Apple’s information systems and technology as well as real estate development, the company announced in August. Kevan Parekh, VP of financial planning and analysis, will succeed Maestri, the company wrote.

Bloomberg reported earlier this month that Dan Riccio, vice president of engineering who headed Apple’s Vision Pro, will retire after more than 26 years at the company. It cited people familiar with the matter.

Dan Rosckes, Apple’s global supply chain procurement chief, is also retiring after a 24-year stint, Bloomberg reported.

Surface joined the company in 2023 from Medtronic, a medical hardware company, to oversee Apple’s more than 160,000 employees.

Apple employees were notified of Surface’s exit on Wednesday, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg, which reported that Apple exec Deirdre O’Brien will manage Surface’s team — a role she previously had. O’Brien will also continue to manage Apple’s retail stores.

A spokesperson for Apple did not respond to a request for comment from BI.