Apple App Store Head to Depart as Division Reorganizes [Report]

Apple's head of App Store is leaving the company as it reorganizes the division to handle changes forced by regulatory bodies, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The changes are being implemented by Phil Schiller, the Apple SVP ultimately responsible for App Store.

Matt Fischer, a vice president who has run the App Store business since 2010, is leaving the iPhone maker in October, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who declined to be identified because the changes haven't been announced. The App Store group is being split into two teams: one overseeing Apple's own store and another responsible for alternative app distribution.

"After 21 years at Apple, I've made the decision to step away from our incredible company," Fischer told his team in an email Wednesday. "This has been on my mind for some time, and as we are also reorganizing the team to better manage new challenges and opportunities, now is the right moment to pass the baton to two outstanding leaders on my team."


Bloomberg says that Carson Oliver, a longtime senior director, will run the App Store group, while Ann Thai, a director in currently charge of App Store search and discovery, will lead the team responsible for alternative distribution. Both will report to Schiller.

Notably, the reorganization comes after some newly announced changes to developer rules in the European Union, affecting external links and fees. The changes follow a preliminary ruling from the European Commission that Apple is in violation of the Digital Markets Act by preventing app developers from freely steering customers to alternative sources for offers and content.

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