Carol Surface, who led Apple as chief people officer, has departed from the company after 20 months of tenure. Surface, who was appointed in April 2023 by Apple, was introduced to streamline HR operations under a dedicated leader, stated a media report.
As she was appointed by Apple, the focus of Deirdre O’Brien, senior vice president - people and retail, shifted fully on retail. However, with her departure, O'Brien will not get back to focusing on both retail and people teams of Apple.
As the leader of the People team, Carol supporte the connection, development, and care for Apple’s employees around the world. Her team oversaqw functions including talent development and Apple University, recruiting, employee relations and experience, benefits, compensation, and inclusion and diversity.
Previously, Surface was the EVP and chief human resources officer at Medtronic. Surface began her career at PepsiCo and also worked at Best Buy. Surfacw earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Castleton University, and a doctorate in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Central Michigan University.