Apple’s hardware chief Bob Mansfield retires

Bob Mansfield, Apple’s chief of hardware, is retiring, Apple announced via a press release moments ago. Mansfield, who has been Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, has led the company’s Mac hardware engineering since 2005, iPhone and iPod hardware engineering since 2010 and iPad’s hardware engineering since its inception. He will be succeeded by Dan Riccio, Apple’s vice president of iPad hardware engineering over the next several months. The hardware engineering team will continue to report to Mansfield till his departure.
“Bob has been an instrumental part of our executive team, leading the hardware engineering organization and overseeing the team that has delivered dozens of breakthrough products over the years,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Our hardware engineering team is the best engineering team on earth and will not miss a beat during the transition.”
Mansfield joined Apple in 1999 when Apple acquired Raycer Graphics, where he was vice president of Engineering. Riccio currently serves as vice president of iPad Hardware Engineering and has been instrumental in all of Apple’s iPad products since the first generation iPad. Riccio joined Apple in 1998 as vice president of Product Design and has been a key contributor to most of Apple’s hardware over his career.