Published , by Morgan Shaver
Published , by Morgan Shaver
Apple vice president of industrial design, Evans Hankey, is exiting the company according to recent reports from outlets like CNBC and Bloomberg. Hankey had originally stepped into the role three years ago after Apple’s former design chief, Jony Ive, who’d served at the company for over two decades, left to start his own independent firm.
While occupying the role, Hankey reported to Apple COO, Jeff Williams, and handled the majority of the company’s industrial design work for things like Apple hardware and production. Hankey also worked closely with Alan Dye, Apple’s head of design for software and user interfaces, with Dye set to remain at Apple amid Hankey’s departure according to Bloomberg.
Additionally, one of Apple’s former lead designers within Dye’s division and current Airbnb VP of Design, Gary Butcher, is said to be returning to the company as well.
As of right now, Apple has yet to name a replacement for Hankey, but has confirmed that she’ll remain at the company for the next six months to help manage the transition. Hankey’s departure marks the first time that Apple will be without an industry design VP since Jony Ive was appointed to the role in the late 90s by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
In a recent statement, an Apple spokesperson said the following about Hankey's departure:
For more on Hankey’s departure, be sure to read through the full report from Bloomberg. And for more Apple news, check out some of our previous coverage including Apple VP of Procurement stepping down after TikTok joke about 'fondling big-breasted women', and how Apple is reportedly paring back iPhone production plans as demand slows.