Medtronic EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer Carol Surface will become the first chief people officer at Apple That’s according to Bloomberg, which reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook disclosed the new hire in a memo to employees. Surface joined Medtronic — the world’s largest medical device company — in 2013 after C-level HR roles at Best Buy and Pepsi. Her last day will be March 2, a Medtronic spokesperson said.
It’s not clear whether Medtronic has identified a successor for Surface. Medtronic will announce further details about its succession plans in the coming weeks,” the company said in a statement. “The Medtronic executive committee and the HR leadership team are committed to ensuring a smooth transition and business continuity during this transition.”
Medtronic said it had approximately 95,000 employees as of Medical Design & Outsourcing‘s most recent Medtech Big 100 ranking, which put Medtronic at No. 1 with more than $31.6 billion in annual revenue.
For comparison, Apple reported $394.3 billion in annual revenue and about 164,000 full-time equivalent employees at the end of its most recently completed fiscal year.
Surface “brings an incredible depth of experience, which will be invaluable in supporting our teams around the world and building on everything that makes Apple so special,” Apple said in a statement. The surface will take over the human resources responsibilities of Deirdre O’Brien, a 30-year Apple veteran who reports to Cook as senior vice president of retail and people. When Surface joins Apple, O’Brien will focus on retail and help Surface transition into the new role.
In addition to leading Medtronic’s human resources strategy, Surface serves as chair of the Medtronic Foundation Board and provides leadership for the Medtronic Labs health systems innovation initiative. The surface was named the world’s top chief human resources officer last year by global executive search and leadership advisory firm N2 Growth.
When announcing the honor, Medtronic touted its ranking as one of the world’s 25 best places to work and Surface’s leadership through its acquisition of Covidien, CEO succession planning, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Medtronic’s reorganization. I’m honored to be included among this esteemed group of forward-thinking CHROs who are shaping careers, culture, and talent at some of the world’s most innovative, people-driven companies,” Surface said in a news release at the time. “This recognition would not be possible without the extraordinary team of HR professionals I have the privilege of working with at Medtronic. Each day, they deliver world-class services and show up with a commitment to making a difference for our employees, which in turn helps us advance our mission to more patients globally.
