Apple’s recent announcement that it is hiring Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts to take on its flagging retail business created a stir in Silicon Valley. Not only will Ahrendts be the only top female executive at Apple, she will be responsible for fixing some of the company’s most vexing problems such as bolstering the iPhone-maker’s China business. Apple’s retail innovation under former head Ron Johnson—who pioneered genius bars and novel payment methods—has faltered after a series of management shake-ups and in the wake of greater competition.
Ahrendts helped remake British luxury retailer Burberry by aggressively adopting technology. This video, promoting those achievements, gives some insight into her thinking about tech and retail. “This is the entry into the brand,” she says pointing to the iPhone in her hand, for example. Ahrendts also discusses how retail customers are becoming “mobile first,” much like news consumers.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzBIYwZsut0&w=560&h=315]