Angela Ahrendts, the chief executive who led British brand Burberry's transformation into a sexy modern fashion label, is swapping trenchcoats for a rather different range of macs.
Ahrendts, who was the highest-paid chief executive in the FTSE 100 last year with a pay package of almost £17m, has been poached by Apple, the world's most valuable company. She is expected to double her income when she becomes the boss of the iPad maker's global retail division next summer.
Half a billion pounds was wiped off Burberry's stockmarket value as her departure, and the appointment of Burberry's designer Christopher Bailey as her replacement, was announced.
Yorkshire-born Bailey and Ahrendts, a US fashion executive from Indiana, have worked closely together since her arrival in 2006, with the designer contributing ideas to many aspects of the business. The Royal College of Art graduate is credited with the social media strategy under which Burberry became the first big fashion house to stream catwalk shows live on the internet, but it is almost unknown for a design specialist to lead a company of Burberry's size.
Ahrendts is moving to a demanding job as Apple's status as the world's most profitable computer and smartphone maker is under pressure from rivals such as Samsung. But earlier this week Apple was named the world's most valuable brand, toppling Coca-Cola, and the stores she will oversee have higher sales per square foot than any other retailer in the world.
The last person to run Apple's retail empire was also hired from the UK. Former Dixons boss John Browett, was lured to the group's head office in Cupertino, California and handed a "golden hello" reported to be worth $56m (£35m). However, Browett never collected the full cash pile as he was fired after less than six months in the role in October last year.
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