Jony Ive has been named as Apple’s chief design officer.
The newly created position will see Ive become only the third C-level executive at Apple, with Tim Cook CEO and Luca Maestri CFO being the others.
Richard Howarth, VP industrial design and Alan Dye, VP interface design will take over Ive’s previous day-to-day responsibilities.
Ive’s most recent input in the company saw him play a central role in redesigning iOS 7 as part of his position in charge of the human interface group.
British designer Ive, who was described by former CEO Steve Jobs as a "spiritual partner" has played a significant role in helping Apple to become one of the leading computing and smart phone companies with important roles within design.
In an internal memo published by 9to5Mac, Tim Cook, said: "In this new role, he will focus entirely on current design projects, new ideas and future initiatives."
"Jony is one of the most talented and accomplished designers of his generation, with an astonishing 5,000 design and utility patents to his name."
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