Apple a confirmé au New York Times que Jay Blahnikthe company’s vice president of fitness technologies, will retire in July, ending a 13-year career at Apple.
A remarkable journey at Apple
According to the New York Times, “Jay Blahnik, Apple’s vice president of fitness technologies, will retire this summer […],” thus capping his influential role within the company.
When Blahnik joined Apple in 2013, many thought he would be involved in the development of the Apple Watch, which had not yet been announced. His contribution nevertheless extended beyond this emblematic device. Although he is credited with the invention of Activity Circles, he also led the development of the Apple Fitness+ subscription service, launched in 2020.
Accusations of harassment
However, recent events have cast a shadow over his career. Last August, the New York Times reported that “Mr. Blahnik created a toxic work environment,” according to nine current and former employees who spoke about personnel issues on condition of anonymity.
These sources said his behavior caused more than 10 workers to request extended medical leave, representing about 10% of the team.
The report outlined several instances where Blahnik allegedly acted inappropriately, including allegations of verbal abuse, sexual remarks and retaliation. In at least one case, Apple settled a complaint alleging sexual harassment. Since then, Blahnik has generally been in the background, while an internal Apple investigation reportedly found “no evidence of wrongdoing.”
A new chapter in New York
However, today the NYT reported that in an email to employees, Apple announced that Mr. Blahnik, 57, will leave in July “to spend time with his family and make an exciting move to New York.”
Apple has not yet confirmed whether the company will seek a replacement or whether Blahnik’s responsibilities will be redistributed among existing executives.
Following this, Bloomberg said in November that the future of Apple Fitness+ was “under review,” being one of the company’s “weakest” digital offerings. At that time, Mark Gurman mentioned that the division would benefit from new leadership, with Sumbul Desai, head of Apple’s health business, adding Fitness+ to its portfolio as part of a broader reorganization.
