Snippet: Apple Human Interface VP Greg Christie Retiring ☇

Matthew Panzarino:

According to multiple sources inside and outside the company, Christie’s exit has been known for weeks — and planned for even longer. His stepping aside has been designed to allow for a transition of leadership inside the Human Interface group. Christie worked under Forstall for many years, and there may have been plenty of times he didn’t agree with Ive, but there has reportedly been a distinct lack of drama in this transition.

If there was any ill-will between Christie and Ive, it doesn’t appear to have taken the form of any open conflict and a flare-up of friction was apparently not behind this exit. We hear Christie will stay at Apple a bit longer working on “special projects,” in a similar manner to former SVP of Technology Bob Mansfield, until he exits. From what we understand, Christie was recently moved into a role with no direct reports, which is often the harbinger of retirement at Apple.

Christie brought a lot to the table over the years, from making OS X look both visually appealing and professionally restrained, and giving iOS obvious enough cues to help bring the idea of a smartphone to the masses. Some early reports pointed at clashes between Christie and Jonathan Ive as the reason for his departure, but it seems to be much more amicable. Still, this will obviously be a major loss for Apple.