Two Apple iPod chief execs to leave the company - for their family?

November 4, 2008 · Filed Under Recent News

Yes, you heard correctly. Putting family over work. A rarity in today’s society, indeed.

Apple on Tuesday confirmed rumors circulating yesterday that Tony Fadell, a longtime executive in charge of the company’s iPod division and regarded as mainly responsible for its mainstream success, is stepping down.

Fadell will be replaced by Mark Papermaster (greatest company exec name ever), a vice president at IBM, who will join Apple as senior vice president of devices (the devices being mainly the iPod line), which is a nice grab for Apple.

Fadell will remain at Apple as an adviser to CEO Steve Jobs, the company said. Apple also announced that Fadell’s wife, Danielle Lambert, plans to step down from her position as vice president of human resources at the end of the year, after a successor is found. She will leave the company, Apple said.

Both stated their reasons were for spending more time with their growing family. I say, good for them. We’ll see if this impacts the iPod or its strategies going forward in any way, though.

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