Apple's iPod chief to step down

Apple's iPod chief, Tony Fadell, will step down but remain at the company.

(Credit: Apple)

Apple on Tuesday confirmed reports circulating on Monday night that Tony Fadell, a longtime executive in charge of the company's iPod division, is stepping down.

Fadell will be replaced by Mark Papermaster, a vice president at IBM, who will join Apple as senior vice president of devices, responsible for the company's iPod and iPhone hardware-engineering teams, Apple said.

CNET News first reported last week that Papermaster was set to leave IBM for a prominent position at Apple, though the nature of his role was unknown at the time.

Fadell will remain at Apple as an adviser to CEO Steve Jobs, the company said, adding that Fadell's wife, Danielle Lambert, plans to step down from her position as vice president of human resources at the end of the year, after a successor is found. She will leave the company, Apple said.

"Mark is a seasoned leader and is going to be an excellent addition to our senior management team," Jobs said in a statement Tuesday. And according to a statement Apple issued Tuesday, both executives are "reducing their roles within the company as they devote more time to their young family."

[ijerbell1]

why did he step down? Or is that just a polite way of saying he got fired?

[cnet_user_0]

ijerbell1, you must be a Mac user. Read the article carefully, will ya? It clearly says that he stepped down (along with his wife) to devote more time to family life.

[Bob Baran]

Tony is being groomed...

He and his wife are a anchor points in the Apple culture. This is a natural process. Steve Jobs is bringing him up to speed on the "big picture" by making him a "right hand man".