Apple Hires United CFO Zane Row As Sales VP

Fresh on the heels of last week’s announcement that Symantec’s Phillip Bullock was joining Apple, the Cupertino company appears to have lured away yet another executive from a major corporation: United Continental’s Zane Rowe, according to AllThingsD.  Mr. Rowe is joining Apple as a vice president of sales.

United CFO Zane Row

United Continental’s Zane Rowe

Mr. Rowe, currently the Executive VP and CFO for United Continental, the holding company formed after United and Continental Airlines’ merger in May 2010, is leaving the company he has worked for since 1993 to take a “high-ranking sales position” with Apple.

“We are thrilled that Zane Rowe will be joining us as one of our vice presidents of sales,” Apple spokesman Steve Dowling told AllThingsD. “He built a great team at United and we think he is going to do a fantastic job at Apple.”

United’s Senior VP of Financial Planning and Analysis, John Rainey, will take Mr. Rowe’s place with the company. “While we are sorry Zane has decided to leave, we are excited to have such a talented executive as John Rainey become our chief financial officer,” United’s President and CEO Jeff Smisek told NASDAQ. 

AllThingsD’s John Paczkowksi was quick to note that the move is an unusual one for an executive of Mr. Rowe’s tenure. The transition from a head financial position to lesser position in sales seems odd, suggesting that Apple has plans for Mr. Rowe large enough to lure him away from his current lucrative job.