MUMBAI: Tech giant Apple has announced major changes in its management team with senior vice-president of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS, Scott Forstall set to exit the company in 2013. Until his farewell, Forstall will act as advisor to CEO Tim Cook.

Stated as the man behind Apple’s landmark devices iPhone and iPad, Forstall was considered as a favourite to replace Steve Jobs as the CEO after the latter’s demise last October.

According to the release, apart from Forstall the company will also witness the exit of its head of retail John Browett with just around five months of service in the company. While a search for his replacement is underway, the retail team will report directly to Cook.

The senior vice president for Internet software and services Eddy Cue, will take over voice-controlled assistant Siri and Maps, two of iOS's most prominent features. The vice president of Mac software Craig Federighi, will now oversee both Mac and iOS. Jony Ive, who is in charge of the Industrial Design department will now head the Human Interface department as well and Bob Mansfield will lead a new group called Technologies that covers all the wireless teams at Apple.

Design guru Jonathan Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi “will add more responsibilities to their roles,” stated the announcement.

Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement said, “We are in one of the most prolific periods of innovation and new products in Apple's history. The amazing products that we've introduced in September and October, iPhone 5, iOS 6, iPad mini, iPad, iMac, MacBook Pro, iPod touch, iPod nano and many of our applications, could only have been created at Apple and are the direct result of our relentless focus on tightly integrating world-class hardware, software and services.”