Apple Names Steve Smith to Lead M&A

Apple has appointed Steve Smith to lead its mergers and acquisitions and corporate development operations, replacing Adrian Perica in a leadership change that places the team under Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh. The appointment was described in a memo by services chief Eddy Cue, reviewed by Reuters. The memo says Smith will report to Parekh. Perica will leave the M&A leadership role but remain at Apple, focusing on services and reporting to Cue. Perica assumed oversight of iCloud, Fitness and News businesses in 2023, according to the memo. His move formalizes a shift in responsibilities within Apple’s services organization while Smith takes charge of acquisitions and corporate development. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters. Apple is also promoting Carson Oliver to vice president of the App Store, according to Bloomberg reporting cited across reports. Oliver will report to Cue. He had been leading the App Store, following Phil Schiller’s departure from the role in August, according to reports.