“Allison Johnson, who has served as Apple’s vice president of worldwide marketing communications since 2005, is leaving the company, according to several sources,” John Paczkowski reports for AllThingsD. “The reason? To co-found a new marketing and communications firm with another Silicon Valley communications luminary, Former Facebook PR exec Brandee Barker.”

“At Apple, Johnson has managed global advertising for some of the company’s most revolutionary products and the iconic ads for them,” Paczkowski reports. “Those ads have been created by TBWA\Chiat\Day, which plays a powerful role at Apple.”

Paczkowski reports, “Of course, this key part of Apple’s business is watched over closely by CEO Steve Jobs, to whom Johnson has reported directly.”

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