CHRISTOPHER BAILEY is set to replace Angela Ahrendts as chief executive officer of Burberry, although he will also retain his role as chief creative officer. Ahrendts will exit to assume the role of senior vice president for retail and online stores at Apple.

“I am profoundly moved and humbled to be asked to take on the CEO role at this company that means so much to me,” Bailey said today. “I also feel privileged to be keeping my role as chief creative officer, as I believe that creativity and innovation have been at the heart of our success in the last ten years and will be even more so in the decade ahead. It has been my privilege to work with people right across the company over the last ten years, and whilst I am sad no longer to have the inspirational leadership of Angela, who has been an absolute joy to work with, I feel more than confident that part of her legacy is an enormously strong team in all of our areas.”

Bailey and Ahrendts have worked together at the British brand’s helm for over a decade, and will continue to work together over the coming months to facilitate a “seamless transition” as Bailey assumes his new role.

“Burberry is in brilliant shape, having built the industry’s most powerful management team, converted the business to a dynamic digital global retailer, created a world class supply chain, state of the art technology infrastructure, sensational brand momentum and one of the most closely connected creative cultures in the world today,” Ahrendts added. “It has been an honour to have partnered with [Burberry chairman] Sir John Peace and Christopher for the last eight years. I am confident that, with Sir John’s continued guidance and the executive team’s support, Christopher, as one of this generation’s greatest visionaries, will continue to lead Burberry to new heights. Today, Burberry is not only a great brand, but a truly great company.”

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