Apple Reshuffles Leadership, Names Steve Smith as M&A Head
Apple CEO John Ternus is reorganizing executive responsibilities, including naming Steve Smith as the new head of mergers and acquisitions and corporate development. Adrian Perica will take on a broader services role, while Carson Oliver receives a promotion in App Store leadership. The M&A division will report through Apple's finance organization again.
Apple CEO John Ternus is reassigning senior duties across dealmaking, finance, and services. Steve Smith, an Apple veteran, will lead mergers and acquisitions and corporate development, succeeding Adrian Perica. Smith will report to CFO Kevan Parekh, returning the M&A group to the finance organization.
Perica will stay in services, continuing to oversee iCloud, Fitness+, and Apple News, which he has managed since 2023. He will now report to Eddy Cue. Carson Oliver has also been promoted within App Store leadership. Under Perica, M&A helped negotiate the OpenAI arrangement that brought ChatGPT to Siri.
This reshuffle may influence Apple’s future acquisitions, partnerships, and service priorities, with effects reaching consumers, app developers, and investors. If dealmaking becomes more closely tied to finance, Apple could pursue different kinds of startups or integrations, potentially altering competition and innovation in tech markets. Changes in App Store and services leadership may also shape policies and features that affect millions of users and developers. The impact remains uncertain, since executive reporting lines do not guarantee specific product or market outcomes.