Apple has hired the CEO of fashion brand Burberry to lead its retail division

Apple has hired Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts who will head up the company’s retail operations from Spring 2014.

Ahrendts, whose job title is Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores, will have “oversight of the strategic direction, expansion and operation of both Apple retail and online stores,” Apple said in a statement.

A canned message from Apple CEO Tim Cook reads:

I am thrilled that Angela will be joining our team, she shares our values and our focus on innovation, and she places the same strong emphasis as we do on the customer experience. She has shown herself to be an extraordinary leader throughout her career and has a proven track record.

While Ahrendts herself says:

I am profoundly honored to join Apple in this newly created position next year, and very much look forward to working with the global teams to further enrich the consumer experience on and offline. I have always admired the innovation and impact Apple products and services have on people’s lives and hope in some small way I can help contribute to the company’s continued success and leadership in changing the world.

The American businesswoman joined London-based Burberry in January 2006, and was previous with fashion brands Liz Claiborne and Donna Karan. CNN reported that she was the highest paid female CEO in the UK in 2012, thanks to a total compensation package of £16.9 million ($26.3 million) for the year.

Though her profile is not yet on Apple’s executive webpage, Ahrendts will become Apple’s sole female Vice President. Andrea Jung, who was formerly CEO of Avon, is the lone female on the company’s board of Directors.

Update: 9to5mac spotted this video interview in which Ahrendts discusses her tenure with Burberry and move to Apple:

Headline image via Salesforce / Flickr