Angela Ahrendts, Apple's new head of retail, is about to become a Dame of the British Empire along with Melinda Gates. Ms. Ahrendts is currently the CEO of the fashion retailer Burberry and will take over Apple's retail management some time this spring.
News of the honor has been low key with both Ms. Ahrendts and the British Government skipping any formal announcement. The award was confirmed in October 2013, according to Vogue, but the news is just now surfacing.
Ms. Ahrendts has been credited with turning around Burberry's performance in the Asian market where the retailer hadn't been able to successfully sell its products. She started with the company in 2006 and became CEO just a few months later. Prior to her stint at Burberry, she worked for Liz Claiborne as executive vice president.
A date for Ms. Ahrendts award ceremony hasn't been announced yet, but it is expected to happen some time in the next few weeks. She won't, however, receive the award from a member of the royal family because she's a U.S. citizen.
[Updated to show Ms. Ahrendts is still the CEO of Burberry]