Apple Makes Unusual Hire for Retail Chief

Apple announced it hired John Browett to becomes its new senior vice president of retail, an odd choice for a company that seems to have a penchant for Apple insiders.

Browett is the former chief executive for Dixons Retail, a U.K chain of stores that appears to be similar to a Best Buy but with less personality and a boring color scheme. Apparently he came to Apple's notice after redesigning the stores and putting -- you guessed it! -- Apple products out front. He also organized the Apple store-within-a-store, according to the Wall Street Journal

Browett has been with Dixons since 2007. Before that, he was at Tesco, one of the U.K.'s largest grocers,  and he was also the chief executive of Tesco.com. He also has a degree in natural sciences from Cambridge University and University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School. 

“Our retail stores are all about customer service, and John shares that commitment like no one else we’ve met,” said Apple chief executive Tim Cook in a statement. “We are thrilled to have him join our team and bring his incredible retail experience to Apple.”
 
So was Browett one heck of a schmoozer or does he have the goods to make Apple stores great? I'm thinking the former, but we will find out soon.
 
 
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