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Apple hires Yves Saint Laurent CEO as VP working on 'special projects'

Apple hires Yves Saint Laurent CEO as VP working on 'special projects'

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YSL / fashion house (Rrrainbow / Shutterstock.com)
YSL / fashion house (Rrrainbow / Shutterstock.com)

Apple has hired Paul Deneve, the now former CEO of fashion house Yves Saint Laurent. His new position has not yet been defined, but, in a statement provided to Bloomberg, the company said he will work on "special projects" as a VP reporting straight to CEO Tim Cook.

Deneve will report directly to Tim Cook

Deneve is making his return to Apple after a long stint away; he worked in sales and marketing for the company's European arm between 1990 and 1997. After that he started a career in the fashion industry with Courrèges, eventually becoming YSL's CEO in 2011.

The hire appears to be unrelated to Apple's most prominent vacant position — the company is yet to replace John Browett, who left as retail chief in last year's executive shakeup that removed Scott Forstall. Browett had been on the job for less than a year after taking over from Ron Johnson, who had been at the company for over a decade and oversaw the introduction of Apple's iconic stores.