Apple’s Ex-SVP: Here’s What I Learned and Loved at Apple

Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) former senior vice president of retail, John Browett, admitted at a Retail Week Live conference this week via The Independent that he “loved” working for Apple, but he “just didn’t fit with the way they ran the business.”

Before being hired by Apple in April of last year, Browett was the chief executive of British electronics retailer Dixons Retail. Browett was let go by Apple in October 2012 and is currently the chief executive of Monsoon Accessorize.

Browett’s six-month stint as Apple’s head of retail was controversial due to several cost-cutting measures he implemented for Apple Stores, including eliminating staff and reducing working hours for employees. As reported by The Independent, Browett feels that he learned to be a humbler and “much kinder person” from the experience.

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s selection of Browett for the job was surprising to many people familiar with Dixons’ retail culture, which is primarily focused on discount retail sales, rather than customer service. In an email response to a concerned Apple user reported by MacRumors last year, Tim Cook assured him that, “I talked to many people and John was the best by far. I think you will be as pleased as I am. His role isn’t to bring Dixons to Apple, [it's] to bring Apple to an even higher level of customer service and satisfaction.”