Angela Ahrendts (born June 12, 1960) is an American business executive who has held prominent leadership positions at global fashion and technology companies. She is best known for her tenure as the Chief Executive Officer of the British luxury fashion house Burberry and as the Senior Vice President of Retail at Apple Inc. Her career is characterized by her focus on digital transformation, brand revitalization, and the integration of customer experience across physical and digital platforms. Born and raised in New Palestine, Indiana, Ahrendts was the third of six children. Her father, Richard Ahrendts, was a businessman, and her mother, Jean, was a homemaker. She attended New Palestine High School, where she was active in athletics, including gymnastics, tennis, and volleyball, and served as a varsity cheerleader. Following high school, she attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where she earned a degree in Merchandising and Marketing in 1981. After graduation, Ahrendts moved to New York City to pursue a career in the fashion industry. She held a series of high-level positions, beginning with merchandising roles at Warnaco before joining Donna Karan International in 1989. At Donna Karan, she was instrumental in developing the brand internationally through wholesale and licensing agreements. In 1996, she joined Henri Bendel to lead an expansion project, and in 1998, she joined Fifth & Pacific Companies (formerly Liz Claiborne Inc.). By 2002, she had been promoted to Executive Vice President, overseeing a vast portfolio of over 20 brands, including Lucky Brand Dungarees and the men’s retail business of Liz Claiborne. In 2006, Ahrendts was appointed CEO of the British fashion house Burberry. At the time, the 150-year-old brand was struggling with market dilution and a loss of prestige. Ahrendts initiated a comprehensive restructuring, which included tightening control over the company's licensed products and focusing on the brand’s core heritage. She is widely credited with modernizing Burberry through an aggressive digital strategy, leveraging social media and video to engage a younger, global audience, and expanding the brand’s footprint in emerging markets like China. During her eight-year tenure, which concluded in 2014, she successfully repositioned Burberry as a leading global luxury brand and significantly increased its financial valuation. Her contributions to British business were recognized in 2013 when she was made an Honorary Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE). In 2014, Ahrendts transitioned to the technology sector, joining Apple Inc. as Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores. Reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook, she was tasked with overseeing the company’s physical and digital retail operations. Her strategy at Apple focused on the “customer journey,” transforming Apple Stores from simple retail outlets into “town squares”—community-oriented spaces designed for education, creativity, and connection. She launched initiatives such as "Today at Apple," which offered in-store workshops on coding, photography, and music creation, and played a central role in the global expansion of Apple’s retail presence. She served in this role until April 2019, when she departed the company to pursue new professional interests. Since leaving Apple, Ahrendts has maintained an active role in corporate governance and philanthropy. As of 2026, she serves on the boards of directors for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, where she acts as Lead Independent Director, Airbnb, and WPP plc. Her non-profit and advisory work is extensive; she serves as Chair of the Board for Save the Children International and is a board member for charity: water and The HOW Institute for Society. She is also a member of the Global Leadership Council of the Oxford University Saïd Business School. Throughout her career, Ahrendts has been consistently recognized by major publications, including Forbes, Fortune, and the BBC, as one of the world's most powerful and influential business leaders.