Browett says he 'didn't fit' with Apple in six-month stint

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The retail veteran John Browett struck a humble note over his brief six-month stint with the consumer electronics giant Apple yesterday as he said he "just didn't fit" with the business.

Mr Browett, now the chief executive of Monsoon Accessorize, left the electronics firm Dixons Retail to join Apple as its retail president, but left the business in October last year. Mr Browett – said to have angered Apple workers by cutting staff and working hours within stores – told the Retail Week Live conference that his time at Apple was "probably best thing that happened to me".

Although he learnt humility and became a "much kinder person", he admitted: "The issue was I just didn't fit with the business."

He added: "It made things clear about how I am and what I am like to work with, and it will make me much better at my job in the future."

Rob Templeman, deputy chairman of the British Retail Consortium and a former chief executive of Debenhams, said: "Leaders need confidence and humility. They need confidence in their plan but they also need humility in order to be able to adapt to that plan if necessary."