Apple's top design executive Alan Dye poached by Meta in major coup

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By Mark Gurman

 

Meta Platforms Inc. has poached Apple Inc.’s most prominent design executive in a major coup that underscores a push by the social networking giant into AI-equipped consumer devices.  

The company is hiring Alan Dye, who has served as the head of Apple’s user interface design team since 2015, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Apple is replacing Dye with longtime designer Stephen Lemay, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the personnel changes haven’t been announced. 

Apple confirmed the move in a statement provided to Bloomberg News. 

 

“Steve Lemay has played a key role in the design of every major Apple interface since 1999,” Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in the statement. “He has always set an extraordinarily high bar for excellence and embodies Apple’s culture of collaboration and creativity.”

 

The move represents a seismic shift in Silicon Valley and shows that Meta is committed to becoming a name-brand maker of hardware devices. For Apple, the departure extends an exodus of talent suffered by the design team since the exit of visionary executive Jony Ive in 2019.

 

Dye had taken on a more significant role at Apple after Ive left, helping define how the company’s latest operating systems, apps and devices look and feel. The executive informed Apple this week that he’d decided to leave, though top management had already been bracing for his departure, the people said. 

 

With the Dye hire, Meta is creating a new design studio and putting him in charge of design for hardware, software and AI integration for its interfaces.

 

He will be reporting to Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, who oversees Reality Labs. That group is tasked with developing wearable devices, such as smart glasses and virtual reality headsets.

 

Dye’s major focus will be revamping Meta’s consumer devices with artificial intelligence features. He will serve as chief design officer for the group starting Dec. 31.

 

Dye most recently oversaw the interface of the Vision Pro headset and a sweeping redesign of Apple’s operating systems. He was also central to designing the company’s apps, the Apple Watch and the iPhone X. His team has been helping develop a slate of new smart home devices as well, Bloomberg News has reported.

 

Apple shares slipped nearly 1 per cent to $284.15 in New York on Wednesday. Meta fell 1.2 per cent to $639.60. 

 

Dye’s exit is a major loss for Apple, which was already coping with some critical departures in recent weeks. 

 

Jeff Williams, the company’s longtime chief operating officer, retired last month. And artificial intelligence head John Giannandrea just announced his departure this week following years of struggles to catch up in AI. Last fall, Apple’s former hardware chief Dan Riccio also retired.

 

The turnover is expected to continue, with many of the remaining top leaders, including Cook, nearing typical retirement ages. Johny Srouji, Apple’s silicon chief, and Lisa Jackson, Apple’s head of government environment initiatives, have both been evaluating their futures at the company, Bloomberg has reported.

 

“Design is fundamental to who we are at Apple, and today, we have an extraordinary design team working on the most innovative product lineup in our history,” Cook said in the statement.

 

Joining Dye at Meta is Billy Sorrentino, a prominent deputy who has served as a senior director on Apple’s design team since 2016. Meta’s current design leaders — Joshua To, Jason Rubin and Peter Bristol — also will report to Dye.