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Apple VP Bob Mansfield reportedly leaves executive team to work on 'special projects'

Apple VP Bob Mansfield reportedly leaves executive team to work on 'special projects'

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Senior Apple vice president Bob Mansfield has silently disappeared from the company’s website, leading many to wonder about the future of one of the company’s most visible executives. The news was first reported by MacRumors, which noted that Mansfield’s entry was gone both from Apple’s PR site, his name also disappearing from the organizational chart. According to early reports, Mansfield is no longer on the company’s executive team, but will remain at Apple to work on special projects, reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook.

After briefly retiring a year ago, he returned two months later, eventually heading a new division within the company focused on semiconductor and wireless hardware. As for which projects Mansfield might be tackling in his more hands-on role at the company, the New York Times recently wrote that he was "engrossed" with wearable technologies like the Nike FuelBand and Jawbone Up in the context of reporting on Apple's long-rumored smart watch plans. Recent hire Paul Deneve, the former CEO of fashion label Yves Saint Laurent, has similarly been tasked with working on "special projects."