“A key player in the birth of Apple’s retail chain and a potential candidate to lead the retail stores has left the company,” Gary Allen reports for ifoAppleStore. “Jerry McDougal, Vice-President of Retail, said goodbye to his colleagues last Friday, sources say. His departure was explained as not work-related, but rather so he could spend more time with his family.”
MacDailyNews Take: Our cliché alarms just went off. Hold on a sec…
“McDougal was [former retail honcho Ron] Johnson’s right-hand man from the moment the chain was conceived in 2000, and there was speculation he might replace Johnson,” Allen reports. “However, CEO Tim Cook selected outsider John Browett of UK-based Dixons for the position. When Browett was fired last October, speculation again focused on McDougal and others for the Sr. VP position. Instead, McDougal has now departed, and the company says it continues to search for Browett’s successor.”
Read more in the full article here.
John Paczkowski reports for AllThingsD, “McDougal, who resigned earlier this month, is to be replaced by Jim Bean, formerly Apple VP of Finance.”
“While it’s not clear if this is an exec-for-exec swap, Bean has exactly the sort of operational acumen that would lend itself to the position McDougal’s departure leaves open,” Paczkowski reports. “‘Retail has an incredibly strong network of leaders at the store and regional level, and they will continue the excellent work they’ve done over the past decade to revolutionize retailing with unique, innovative services and a focus on the customer that is second to none,’ Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said. ‘Jim Bean is moving to Retail to help support our store teams. Jim has been at Apple for 15 years and is a great leader who understands our culture and focus on customer service.'”
Read more in the full article here.
A finance guy leading Apple’s Stores???
Bad move.
Bean counting is that fired VP dummy Browett was doing. He managed to demoralize the entire world staff of the Apple Stores. One hell of an accomplishment.
Let’s hope this is not a repeat performance of shooting Apple Stores in the foot.
Jerry McDougal: Please look up the concept of ‘Customer Delight’ and read it over and over until you can quote it, comprehend its point and implement it at the Apple Stores.
Yes, my mental faculties are compromised today:
Jim Bean: Please look up the concept of ‘Customer Delight’ and read it over and over until you can quote it, comprehend its point and implement it at the Apple Stores.
[sorry] 🙁
If only Apple could poach the executive in charge of Microsoft’s stores… not!
The Street loves to drag APPL stock down … but will the inevitable drop on the 19th be lower than the valley before the 18th?
What! Retail guru McDougal resigned to be replaced by a pencil pusher? Wait, was there a rumor that Cook and his sidekick Oppenheimer were ganging up on Johnson during Jobs’ sick leave to get Johnson to cut retail operation cost. They only backed off after Jobs returned.
The dynamic duo then hired Browett and gave him the same mandate, only to make him a scapegoat and fired him after he had faithfully carried out their wishes. Now they are doing it again through Bean the pencil pusher.
As I’ve been saying, Cook is a mediocre executive without Jobs’ tutelage and supervision. The sooner Apple sends him back to HP the better.
Perhaps a bit harsh, but I would say that the skills that make you great at Operations, do not necessarily translate to the type of retail chain that Jobs established. They are completely different priorities, skill sets, and primary motivation.
I do not think Cook is a mediocre CEO, but to the extent he pushed cost cutting at retail, he went completely the wrong direction.
Translation: Jerry McDougal felt he deserved to replace Ron Johnson, and since he was passed over, twice, he decided to go elsewhere.
Exactly! Was going to post the same observation. Passed over once is irksome, but it could be felt that the person they hired had something extra to bring to the role. After he is a massive screw-up, and they do it again? Time to polish up the resume.
This really brings up the inevitable question of Cook’s competence.
Might seem to be very on point.
You are not sucker.
I think you are correct Suck. I think he is simply moving on for greener pastures. If he’s not good enough for the position why hang around any longer? I think Ron Johnson may be available soon.He should have plenty of free time on his hands!
I went into a JCP last night (first time in YEARS) and you can clearly see the new areas “mini stores” I think he calls them and they looked great.
The music was improved and the whole place was looking brighter and more inviting. Give Ron some time, not easy to evolve a dinosaur. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would put his improvements at 7.5. They are just moving at a glacial pace.
I am also rather shocked that he hasn’t negotiated Apple mini store presence in his electronics area. Seems a natural fit to me and would instantly put Apple in just about every mall in America. (Fuck best buy) Seems it would be a win win for both.
Oh I’m not complaining about Ron Johnson having a difficult time changing JCPenney. I just think it’s too big, too much and too late. He may be the one person who could do it but I don’t think there is enough money and time to let him do it. I haven’t been in a JCPenney store in 20 years. I’m going to guess that they haven’t changed much? I don’t believe that the brick and mortar approach will save them. And unless Apple would buy them (I’m joking ) I don’t see that they will ever have a online presence either. Translated that means they are doomed to a death of 1000 cuts.
Wonder why they didn’t promote him. If he was right hand guy to the person who WAS doing it right, does seem logical to give him a shot at the top, esp. the second time the position was open. He’d be on the right path more than Browett was, that’s for sure.
Friends promote friends. Has nothing to do with skills. It’s always politics no matter where.
I’d agree if someone from within had been promoted. But first it was Browett from the outside and now it’s an empty chair for how long? Should have given the guy a chance, he deserved one more than Browett.
As long as Browett is gone I am happy.
+1000 agreement – rejoice
+1000 well observed
A bean counter in charge of retail stores, it never works. This is another sign of Tim Cook’s inability to manage the business with vision.
I’ve been saying this all along but nobody listens: Tim Cook is wrong for Apple. He has no vision and is basically an imposter.
I have noticed a disturbing trend in the last year or so with apple stores. There are starting to be “good” apple stores and not so good ones. Whereas it used to be every store was about the same as far as service and knowledge of staff, now there are stores that I have had numerous bad experiencs in and stores that seem to be as good as ever. Although apple has many great years and products to come I fear that the current corporate culture is moving to the bean counter side. This ironically will not be good for the bottom line.
YEP, They keep fixing things that were not broken. Add in an Apple no longer run by Steve and this is what we get, mediocrity.
The Apple stores are run by sales bozo’s, those sales bozo’s also run a team of bozo’s trying to sell hardware and services to small and medium business OUTSIDE the store.
Bad idea combining the retail experience with channel sales folks. Different missions, different drivers.
The Apple stores have always been about experiences and service. Now they are margin driven cattle runs. BIG DIFFERENCE.
Most definitely. My local Apple store has taken a huge dive in every aspect. I suppose this is all the result of Browett’s misguided adventures. The effects will be long lasting. I hate to even go in the same store that I used to love to shop. The quality of the majority of staff is pathetic, in general now, when it used to be almost unbelievably awesome. Poor knowledge base, poor customer service, etc. Whoever made this huge error should be promptly fired and I don’t mean Browett, either. I hope it isn’t this bad in many stores. I’m speaking of the store in the Fort Lauderdale Galleria Mall.
WOW! I never thought I’d say it, but I too am beginning to wonder about Cook’s ability to manage this. A finance guy in any operations situation is never, ever a good thing. Their brains are too small and unimaginative. My apologies to any finance people out there, but it is true. Beaners are a strange group best left in back rooms.
It seems to me Apple is currently in a “blood transfusion” phase. In the past year alone, IMHO, there are just too many executives changes to my comfort.
Possible, and it is worrying that the great talent that Jobs assembled is retiring or moving on. That’s inevitable, but it does seem to have accelerated very significantly of late.
The bozos are taking over.
“better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it so”
You all calling Jim Bean a “bean counter” and Tim Cook “incompetent” are only proving you should have kept your mouth shut.
I have worked with both of them and your couldn’t be more off the mark.
While Jim comes from Finance, his 15+ years at Apple ensure he will bring to retail what Browett could never have: A gut-level understanding of what is “right” in the Apple context.
There you go. Thanks for that, good to know.