Apple appears to have hired Levi Strauss senior VP for unknown retail position

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
As of July, Enrique Atienza, a Levi Strauss senior vice president, has supposedly been working at Apple in an unspecified retail role, suggesting the Cupertino company may finally be close to filling the position left by former retail store head John Browett.

Atienza


According to his LinkedIn profile and Facebook page, Atienza, who also goes by the name Quique, is now working at "Apple Retail" in an undisclosed role.

Atienza's profile still lists his current job as Levi Strauss Senior Vice President Retail Americas and Global Store Operations and Training COE, a position he took in July 2012 after serving as VP of Retail and Operations for two years. However, Levi's spokeswoman Rebecca Youngs confirmed that the executive is no longer with the company. She had no information as to Atienza's current employment situation. Prior to his time at Levi's, Atienza spent almost two years as VP of Store Operations at the Disney Store.

Apple is in the midst of finding a replacement for John Browett, who was taken on to fill the shoes of former retail chief Ron Johnson in 2012. Browett was fired only ten months later after a rash of complaints from Apple Store staff led to questions on the executive's plans for the business.

When Browett was ousted, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he would take reins of retail operations until a suitable replacement was found. The vacated position still remains unfilled.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    When Browett was ousted, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he would take reins of retail operations until a suitable replacement was found. The vacated position still remains unfilled.


     


    Don't be silly, John Browett was so bad he didn't even leave an open space at Apple when they tossed him out.


     


    My take on this news is that since Enrique Atienza is still working for Levi while at Apple, he & Apple will be redesigning jeans so that Samsung's oversized phablets can't be stuffed into the pockets.


  • Reply 2 of 21
    shogunshogun Posts: 362member
    Maybe he's been hired for the specific job of preparing retail for the new products to which Tim has so frequently alluded.
  • Reply 3 of 21
    jonoromjonorom Posts: 293member
    This is more than a weird coincidence, Apple hiring two very senior fashion/clothing/retail executives (Apple hired Paul Deneve from YSL a few weeks ago) in such a short time, both arriving without titles or any kind of job description, that we know of.

    And Apple has been researching wearable computing for years.
  • Reply 4 of 21
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    True enough, jonorom. The direction computing is going is indeed toward "fashion" and an on-body form factor. I personally don't think Google Glass is the future, but it's the beginning of that future.
  • Reply 5 of 21

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post



    True enough, jonorom. The direction computing is going is indeed toward "fashion" and an on-body form factor. I personally don't think Google Glass is the future, but it's the beginning of that future.


     


    Yes, as consumer computing becomes closer to the human, it will be form, function and fashion.   The fact that they hired a fitness person away from Nike also blends into this... 


     


    Nike, YSL, Levis.  All product a 'brand' that can carry a higher sticker price, yet have high repeat customers, a high perceived quality score, and push fashion design (well, maybe not Levi's), and are all international brands.   Makes sense that Tim is forming a brain trust for the next big thing (after pods, phones, pads, watches, TVs... what's next?)

  • Reply 6 of 21
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,949member
    Nah, just keepin' it Steve. Next hires will be from New Balance and Miyake.
  • Reply 7 of 21
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Macky the Macky View Post


    My take on this news is that since Enrique Atienza is still working for Levi while at Apple, he & Apple will be redesigning jeans so that Samsung's oversized phablets can't be stuffed into the pockets.



    Interestingly I believe the iPad mini was designed to fit in the back pocket of mens 501, which they just barely do, without a case. I would not go very far like that or sit with it in the back pocket but it does fit. On another note I have personally noticed the 501s have started to wear out at the bottom of the left front pocket directly at the corner of the iPhone 5. I did not have this issue on the previous iPhones.

  • Reply 8 of 21
    solomansoloman Posts: 228member
    Yes, as consumer computing becomes closer to the human, it will be form, function and fashion.   The fact that they hired a fitness person away from Nike also blends into this... 

    Nike, YSL, Levis.  All product a 'brand' that can carry a higher sticker price, yet have high repeat customers, a high perceived quality score, and push fashion design (well, maybe not Levi's), and are all international brands.   Makes sense that Tim is forming a brain trust for the next big thing (after pods, phones, pads, watches, TVs... what's next?)

    There actually are high priced Levi's (just not overwhelmingly so) and they've actually done a great job reviving the brand.
  • Reply 9 of 21

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post



    True enough, jonorom. The direction computing is going is indeed toward "fashion" and an on-body form factor. I personally don't think Google Glass is the future, but it's the beginning of that future.


    Google Glass cannot be the beginning of anything. There have been generations of optical head-mounted display before Glass, including commercially marketed ones. Arguably, it is the most publicized one.

  • Reply 10 of 21

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Interestingly I believe the iPad mini was designed to fit in the back pocket of mens 501, which they just barely do, without a case. 



    Ipad Mini was designed to take advantage of the 163 ppi LCD panels manufactured for the iPhone 3GS, to simultaneously conform to the resolution of the iPad and to substantially reduce the bezel to facilitate one-hand grasps.

  • Reply 11 of 21

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Robin Huber View Post



    Nah, just keepin' it Steve. Next hires will be from New Balance and Miyake.


    Keeping it Steve? What from YSL did Jobs wear? His glasses? 

  • Reply 12 of 21
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by StruckPaper View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Interestingly I believe the iPad mini was designed to fit in the back pocket of mens 501, which they just barely do, without a case. 



    Ipad Mini was designed to take advantage of the 163 ppi LCD panels manufactured for the iPhone 3GS, to simultaneously conform to the resolution of the iPad and to substantially reduce the bezel to facilitate one-hand grasps.



    That too. Many people think of Apple in terms of absolutes, however when designing mobile devices it is more important to consider the compromises you must accept to achieve the balance of the form factor along with function...and using the available technology. Apple is a master of compromise.

  • Reply 13 of 21
    msimpsonmsimpson Posts: 452member
    Well he has the hairstyle and stylish looks to fit in, but Levi's? While they have a strong brand image like Apple, their retail strategy has been nothing special.
  • Reply 14 of 21
    msimpsonmsimpson Posts: 452member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Interestingly I believe the iPad mini was designed to fit in the back pocket of mens 501, which they just barely do, without a case. I would not go very far like that or sit with it in the back pocket but it does fit. On another note I have personally noticed the 501s have started to wear out at the bottom of the left front pocket directly at the corner of the iPhone 5. I did not have this issue on the previous iPhones.



     


    Really, Apple based the design of the iPad mini on the size of a pants pocket.?  SURE.  What rumor sites have you been smoking?   Give me some of that Mango Kush, Blueberry Haze, or Appleinsider hybrid.


     


    California..  Levis, Apple, and medicinal weed.  

  • Reply 15 of 21
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by msimpson View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Interestingly I believe the iPad mini was designed to fit in the back pocket of mens 501, which they just barely do, without a case. I would not go very far like that or sit with it in the back pocket but it does fit. On another note I have personally noticed the 501s have started to wear out at the bottom of the left front pocket directly at the corner of the iPhone 5. I did not have this issue on the previous iPhones.



     


    Really, Apple based the design of the iPad mini on the size of a pants pocket.?  SURE.  What rumor sites have you been smoking?   Give me some of that Mango Kush, Blueberry Haze, or Appleinsider hybrid.


     


    California..  Levis, Apple, and medicinal weed.  



    I think it was a Steve thing. He did not initially want a small iPad but perhaps he agreed if it could fit within his signature 501's back pocket. Just speculating. Your obsession with weed not withstanding.

  • Reply 16 of 21
    iPants!
  • Reply 17 of 21
    moxommoxom Posts: 326member
    iPhone 501 - available in Denim :)
  • Reply 18 of 21
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    There have been generations of optical head-mounted display before Glass, including commercially marketed ones. Arguably, it is the most publicized one.

    In SK, there dabbling on this:

    400
  • Reply 19 of 21
    With all the emphasis on clothing managers from Levis and Yves Saint Laurent, Ron Johnson's experience and failure as JCP CEO could come in handy as head of Apple Retail.

    Steve Jobs came back to Apple and did wonders, perhaps Ron Johnson can do the same.

    Time will tell.
  • Reply 20 of 21
    jakebjakeb Posts: 562member
    msimpson wrote: »
    Well he has the hairstyle and stylish looks to fit in, but Levi's? While they have a strong brand image like Apple, their retail strategy has been nothing special.

    Levi's and Disney stores both have that sort of highly branded experiential retail thing going on. I think it's a good pick.
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