Apple has removed Sir Jonathan Ive, the company's former chief design officer, from its leadership page, confirming his departure from the company. Sir Jonathan announced in June that he would be leaving Apple, but did not specify a date at the time.
Apple stated that it will continue to be one of the "primary clients" of LoveFrom, a design firm co-founded by Sir Jonathan and fellow Apple Watch designer Marc Newson. Apple CEO Tim Cook said in June that the company would "continue to benefit from Jony's talents" and work directly with him on exclusive projects.
Sir Jonathan joined Apple in 1992 and led the design team from 1996. He was responsible for designing iconic products such as the iPod, iMac, and iPad. In June, he expressed pride in creating a design team and culture at Apple that he described as "without peer."
Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, noted that Ive's departure is more about his personal ambitions than issues with Apple's products. He added that Ive's design philosophy remains deeply embedded in Apple's culture.
London-born Sir Jonathan began his design career at Newcastle Polytechnic and served as chancellor of the Royal College of Art. Before Apple, he designed products including microwave ovens and toothbrushes at Tangerine.
