Apple Looking To Hire ‘Friendlier’ PR Chief After Cotton’s Retirement
by Brent Dirks
June 9, 2014
After longtime vice president of worldwide communications, Katie Cotton, retired in May, Apple is looking in a different direction for her replacement.
According to a new report from Re/Code, CEO Tim Cook is searching for a “friendlier, more approachable” face to head the public relations team, possibly from outside Apple. The position reports directly to Cook, so it isn’t a big surprise that he is leading the search.
Even so, there are some qualified candidates in-house, including Steve Dowling and Nat Kerris. If Cook goes outside the company, the site says it could lead to a larger shakeup of the PR team:
But interesting nonetheless, as passing over a pair of veterans groomed under company co-founder Steve Jobs for an outsider could herald a big shift in Apple’s PR strategy and its comms team. Would Dowling and Kerris stick around if one or both didn’t get the job? Apple declined comment on the matter.Before her retirement, Cotton had logged more than two decades at Apple, helping to steer media coverage from the introduction of the iMac all the way to the current era. She was ranked No. 50 on Fortune’s 2011 list of the 50 Most Powerful Women. While many were sad to see Cotton go, she had her fair share of detractors in the press. It should be interesting to see in which direction Cook goes for her replacement. For other news today, see: A New Screenshot Shows Public Transit Information In Apple's Maps App For iOS 8, Another Analyst Predicts A Huge Debut For Apple's 'iWatch,' and You Can Now Buy Shares Of Apple For Under $100 After 7-For-1 Stock Split.
