Apple App Store Vice President Matt Fischer is leaving after 21 years at the company as Apple prepares for an App Store reorganization to deal with regulatory changes, reports Bloomberg.
“After 21 years at Apple, I’ve made the decision to step away from our incredible company,” Fischer told his team in an email Wednesday. “This has been on my mind for some time, and as we are also reorganizing the team to better manage new challenges and opportunities, now is the right moment to pass the baton to two outstanding leaders on my team.”
Fischer joined Apple in 2003 when he was hired to oversee iTunes marketing, but he has served as the vice president of the App Store since 2010.
App Store chief Phil Schiller is changing the App Store’s hierarchy and plans to split the Cupertino firm’s App Store group into two teams, one will handle the App Store, while a second team will oversee alternative app distribution. Earlier this year, Apple began supporting iOS app downloads from alternative app stores and from websites in the European Union, changes that the company was required to make to comply with the regulations contained in the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
After Fischer’s departure, App Store senior director Carson Oliver will manage the App Store , and Ann Thai, who oversees App Store features, will lead the team that handles alternative app distribution.