Apple Reveals Leadership Shuffle After Gary Geaves Leaves VP Role

Apple's audio unit's management has been reshuffled, and leadership roles have changed. The company's Acoustic Technologies' vice president, Gary Geaves, stepped down as the division's vice president.

The Acoustic Team

Acoustic Technologies is Apple's hardware unit. It consists of team members responsible for the audio features on AirPods and other devices. PYMNTS reported that Geaves played an essential role in developing AirPods, HomePod, and other Apple products.

Moreover, under Geaves' leadership, the acoustic team mainly worked on sound, speakers, and microphone technologies. They also created special software features like spatial audio, which have become one of the most popular selling points for most of the brand's devices. The team also developed new products, such as wall-mounted smart displays and integrated iPad and HomePod gadgets.

Leadership Changes

Apple's Acoustic is vacating his vice president post, which was first reported on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The company has not officially announced this yet. Still, sources said he is stepping toward retirement.

Apple has reportedly appointed Ruchir Davé as his replacement, but the tech firm has yet to confirm this. Currently, the VP successor is working as a senior director in the team, which has around 300 staff.

As per Patently Apple, people familiar with Apple's acoustics unit believe that Geaves has been planning to retire in the last few years, and his move to an advisory role after leaving the VP post is one step toward that retirement. At any rate, Davé has been with the company for 14 and a half years, based on his LinkedIn profile, so he is the ideal replacement for Geaves.

"The group, which has about 300 employees, is a core part of Apple's growing AirPods and speaker businesses," the company said about its Acoustic division. "It oversees sound and microphone technologies and helped develop software features such as spatial audio that have become a selling point for AirPods, HomePods, and the new Vision Pro headset."

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