Apple: Leadership reshuffle continues on the first day

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The first day under new leadership brings two personnel changes that Apple did not announce. The former CFO has relinquished his last operational role, and the head of acquisitions is missing from the leadership team – both of which point to a different leadership style than before.

While John Ternus began his first day as CEO with a message to employees, two other changes were taking place behind the scenes. Both originate from a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the matter; this source's information regarding Apple's internal restructuring has been repeatedly confirmed in recent years, though the company has not issued a statement.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Luca Maestri has relinquished his position as head of Corporate Services; his responsibilities will be taken over by Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh.
• Maestri remains on the payroll; his only remaining task is a course at Apple University.
• Adrian Perica, who has been responsible for acquisitions for years, no longer appears on the updated management page.
• Laura Legros, brought back from retirement in August, is to become a kind of chief of staff for Ternus.
• According to the report, Ternus is likely to differ from his predecessor in not retaining departing managers in smaller roles.

Maestri relinquishes the last operational area

Luca Maestri was CFO until January 2025, when he handed over the department to Kevan Parekh without leaving the company. He then took over Corporate Services: information systems, information security, and real estate and construction projects.

According to the report, he resigned from this position a few weeks ago. His responsibilities have been transferred to Parekh, who will now oversee not only finances but also internal infrastructure. Maestri remains employed; his remaining role is teaching a course at Apple University, the company's internal program for aspiring leaders.

The person responsible for acquisitions is missing from the overview

The second observation concerns an absence. Adrian Perica, responsible for Apple's acquisitions, no longer appears on the leadership page, which was updated today. His next position within the company is unclear; according to the report, his responsibilities could be divided between the services and finance divisions.

For a company that traditionally keeps its acquisitions small and low-key, this would be more than just a personnel change. In recent years, Apple has primarily acquired small, specialized firms, most recently an AI provider for two billion US dollars. Analysts expect bigger moves under Ternus – however, the absence of a name doesn't tell us whether the reorganization of responsibilities aligns with this.

Person	Previous task	As of today
Luca Maestri	Corporate Services	handed over to Kevan Parekh, remains with a course at Apple University
Adrian Perica	Acquisitions and investments	No longer in leadership positions, future assignment open
Laura Legros	Hardware manager brought back in August	She is to work as chief of staff for Ternus

A pattern that could end

More interesting than the individual cases is the underlying principle. Cook regularly kept executives who relinquished their core responsibilities in smaller roles – Maestri for over a year and a half, and others previously in a similar fashion. This practice is likely to end: according to the report, people close to the company expect Ternus to abandon it.

That would be one of the few visible deviations from the established style, and it would have repercussions beyond the HR department. For years, the gradual withdrawal of personnel has allowed Apple to retain knowledge in-house and ensure seamless transitions. A faster cut makes the leadership team more agile, but it sacrifices precisely this continuity.

The restructuring has outlasted the change of leadership

Anyone who thought September 1st marked the end of the restructuring phase was mistaken. Within fourteen months, five key positions have been filled, and on the very day the new leadership took office, two more responsibilities shifted. The change at the top was the most visible part of a process that has affected the entire management team and is clearly ongoing.

With Laura Legros, Ternus also gains a role at his side that didn't exist under Cook. She was brought back from retirement in August and, according to the report, will serve as chief of staff. This is the first personnel decision entirely attributable to the new boss – and thus the first real indication of how he envisions his immediate team.