Deirdre O’Brien

Senior Vice President, Retail + People Apple

Last Reviewed: October 1, 2026

Executive Summary

Deirdre O’Brien leads both of Apple’s most people-intensive functions: its retail stores and online teams, and its People organisation. She has held the combined Retail + People role since October 2024, having held it before from 2019 to 2023. Of the executive officers in Apple’s 2026 proxy, she has been at the company longest, since July 1988, with earlier roles in operations and human resources. Her People remit covers Apple University, talent management, recruiting, employee relations, inclusion and diversity, and compensation and benefits.

Career Highlights

• Senior Vice President, Retail + People at Apple since October 2024, and from February 2019 to May 2023.
• Senior Vice President, Retail.
• Vice President, People, and Vice President, Operations, earlier at Apple.
• Joined Apple in July 1988.

Professional Journey

O’Brien earned a bachelor’s degree in operations management at Michigan State University and an MBA at San Jose State University. She joined Apple in July 1988.

Her earlier Apple roles include Vice President, Operations and Vice President, People. In February 2019 she became Senior Vice President, Retail + People, combining responsibility for Apple’s stores with its people function. She held that role until May 2023, also serving at some point as Senior Vice President, Retail, and returned to the combined role in October 2024.

In the role she oversees Apple’s retail stores and online teams and its People team, including Apple University, business partnerships, talent management, recruiting, employee relations, inclusion and diversity, compensation and benefits, and people support and technology. She reports to chief executive John Ternus.

Education

Michigan State University

Bachelor’s degree, Operations Management

San Jose State University

MBA