LONDON

When Lucie first came to Apple London, she was working as a freelance graphic designer. “Honestly, I thought, ‘OK, it’s an important worldwide company. Maybe there are a lot of strict rules.’ But that wasn’t the case. I quickly saw that Apple trusts our thinking and actually expects creative innovation.

“So we start messy, come up with all kinds of ideas, and then craft the concept by simplifying and focusing to arrive at something that’s clever and unexpected.” The team’s work may be done in London, but it’s seen around the world.

“We help Apple show up in so many ways, ensuring the work is meaningful for different audiences and cultures. We created a nationwide campaign for India based on a mandala design, a playful campaign in Berlin celebrating the city’s giant pink water pipes, and a project for a new Apple Store in London featuring flowers that grow across the street in Hyde Park. In Paris, we hired 20 illustrators for a wildly fun outdoor campaign — not what you’d expect on the Champs-Élysées! I love the diversity of our projects. It’s helped me stretch and grow as a creative.”

Lucie has grown as a manager too. “I was excited about the opportunity, but for me, it wasn’t automatic to adjust from being a maker to also being a manager of makers. That’s why I massively appreciate that Apple gives you the training and support for that transition. I love that Apple University was so empathetic. They said, ‘We know it’s a lot to absorb — being a new manager and also doing this training — but trust us. It’s worth it.’ And they were right. They also offer a coach who can help you through leadership issues as you adjust. At Apple, I’ve seen that even career growth is cleverly thought out.”

Ahmed is part of a broader team responsible for RealityKit, Apple’s 3D simulation and rendering engine, a key technology for Apple Vision Pro and augmented reality on other Apple products. “We’re committed to making the unbelievable believable — for Apple Original content and for developers creating apps for our products. My core team uses procedural character animation to make the motion of virtual characters or objects feel natural, even as they interact with the real world around you.

“When you see a virtual butterfly land on your finger, or realise that a dinosaur is following your movement, the natural motion makes you really believe it — it’s more exciting because you feel it.

“To do this, an artist creates the model, a creative expression, then we build a proof-of-concept algorithm and we all see how closely the action reflects the original vision.” For Ahmed, this collaboration of artists, animators and engineers is a daily reminder that they not only work at Apple, but they also work at the intersection of technology and the liberal arts.

Before joining Apple, Ahmed had a senior role at a small start-up, and he’s noted some differences. “Here, I get to focus 100 percent on what I love, my specialty. Yet even though my core team is small, there are so many opportunities for cross-pollination with all the talent at Apple — so you learn more, your technical development goes wider, and if you want, deeper.”

Ahmed’s development has been more than technical. “I’ve learnt more about people skills like communication and collaboration in my time here than I did in the rest of my career altogether. It’s been such a valuable experience as we work cross-functionally with other Apple teams. I think our creations work well because we do.”

Today there are more ways than ever to learn about new songs and artists, yet Ginelle and her colleagues maintain the human touch, curating playlists and discovery experiences for millions of fans.

She got her start after joining the Apple Services Academy, an entry-level professional development program. “I got to dive right in, working on the launch of the UK R&B playlist. Now I’m responsible for Black music programming in the UK and introducing more of these artists to a global audience. I also lead projects that help bring them more visibility, beyond the music itself.”

For this native Londoner, music has always been about cultural connection. “I have a real interest in the influence of the African and Caribbean diaspora. For Black Brits, there’s often a dual identity about what home is. I have family in Ghana; others have a bond with the music of Jamaica, Nigeria or Barbados, and so on, so we create playlists to reflect that.”

In fact, musical heritage inspired one of Ginelle’s first Apple projects. “Early on, I presented an idea about hosting an Apple Music festival in Ghana. It didn’t happen straight away, but when the team felt the time was right, we all worked together to make it happen. It was quite unreal — there we were, in Accra, showcasing some of Africa’s biggest artists. It just shows that at Apple, if you have a good idea, it can happen.”

Even with her successes, Ginelle still has a beginner’s mindset. “I’m learning so much about the business of music, as well as collaborating with teams like Beats, Apple TV+, Apple Podcasts and others. And now with Spatial Audio, we’re not only working with the latest artists, but we’re also bringing people new ways of listening to them.”

As part of Apple’s Enterprise team, Dan has customers that include airlines, railways and cruise lines. He knew what he was getting into — before joining Apple, he had managed technology for an airline where he worked with Apple as a business customer. “I remember back then seeing each crew member using an iPad with the apps the team had built, and I thought, ‘OK, this is really making a difference.’ Now I get to make a difference for businesses all across Europe.”

One way Dan does that for his customers is by thinking about their customers. “In the travel industry, there are millions of in-person customer interactions every day, and the intuitive nature of Apple products helps turn each of them into a smooth and seamless experience. Another thing that sets us apart: all the Apple services that a company’s customers love on a trip, like Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Pay, for example. Then there are my counterparts here from our health, retail, and financial services teams, and others as well, supporting each account with relevant expertise.

“You’ll find our whole ecosystem of services here, all under one roof, along with our Enterprise Design Lab, where businesses interested in creating apps for their employees meet with our development team for expert guidance.” Dan is something of a guide himself: “We like to take our customers on a tour to experience relevant products at work in our Caffè Macs and the Apple Store downstairs, as well as in Battersea’s retail shops and the nearby railway station.”

Although Dan thinks of Battersea as the ideal venue for customer collaboration, he also knows it’s about people more than a place. “The travel business depends on service, so our travel customers really care about their own customers’ experience, and they recognise that as Apple’s focus, too. I think that’s at the core of why we like working together.”


For Amar, the best answers depend on the best questions. That’s why his team’s queries are thoroughly researched, deeply analysed, meticulously crafted and vigorously debated. The attention to detail is crucial because Amar leads the financial insights team at Apple London, managing data and presenting conclusions to senior leadership across Europe and the US.

“Our team works on forecasting and financial analytics to arrive at key financial insights. We handle challenging questions that, at first, exhibit a high degree of uncertainty. Using a range of financial models and pressure testing our assumptions, we then arrive at the best answers. The big difference at Apple, in my experience, is that you’re working with really sharp colleagues, happy to challenge a premise and get into robust debate. There’s a high level of intellectual engagement, and as a result, you listen and learn so you can refine your ideas.

“All that connecting and collaborating is the key to getting the best out of everyone. Training and mentoring at Apple helped me with that. I’m a firm believer, though, that you’ve really got to own your career and develop a vision of where you want to go.” These kinds of experiences are what’s kept Amar growing through different roles over 11 years at Apple London, all with the Finance team. “My listening and learning continues, so I know I haven’t reached my ceiling.”

Amid all the financial analytics and mathematical modelling, Amar knows what it all adds up to. “There’s no doubt that our team’s work is making a difference for Apple. Yet it’s more than that: There’s the impact of what we all do together here — the more personal human experiences, like my mum tracking her swimming and running with her Apple Watch. It’s really meaningful to be part of that.”