Sir Jony Ive joined Apple as a full time employee in 1992
Apple has announced that its long-term chief design officer Sir Jony Ive is to leave the
company after nearly 30 years.
Described as the man behind the design of the iPhone, iPod and iMac, Sir Jony is leaving Apple to form his own independent design company called LoveFrom – which Apple confirmed it will be a client.
Despite the departure both parties have confirmed Sir Jony will continue to work closely
with Apple on a number of projects.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has praised Sir Jony and said that “his role in Apple’s revival cannot be overstated” when mentioning his contribution to the 1998 iMac and iPhones that followed.
“Apple will continue to benefit from Jony’s talents by working directly with him on exclusive projects, and through the ongoing work of brilliance and passionate design team he has built.
“After so many years working closely together, I’m happy that our relationship continues to evolve and I look forward to working with Jony long into the future.”
Commenting on his departure Sir Jony said: “After nearly 30 years and countless projects, I am most proud of the lasting work we have done to create a design team, process and culture at Apple that is without peer.”
Apple also confirmed that industrial design vice president Evans Hankey and human interface design vice president Alan Dye will now report to Apple’s chief operating officer Jeff Williams.
Sir Jony added: “The team will certainly thrive under the excellent leadership of Evans,
Alan and Jeff, who have been among my closest collaborators. I have the utmost confidence in my designer colleagues at Apple, who remain my closest friends, and I look forward to working with them for many years to come.”
