Phil Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, has been named to biotechnology company Illumina’s board of directors. According to Illumina’s announcement, Phil’s track record and global experience in marketing world-class products “will help guide us as we continue to develop innovative new solutions for our customers.”
Of course, Apple’s interest in health-related technologies for the Apple Watch is well known. Illuminas President and CEO, Francis deSouza, said that Phil’s vision, integrity and passion are “fully aligned” with Illumina’s core values.
Since rejoining Apple in April 1997, Phil Schiller, who frequently appears in Apple’s promotional videos and at media events, has helped the Cupertino company create and market some of the best-selling products in the world including the Mac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, the App Store, Apple TV and the Apple Watch.
The executive, who is 56 years old, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Boston College, where he graduated from in 1982. Prior to joining Apple, Schiller held various marketing positions at Macromedia, FirePower Systems, Nolan, Norton & Company of Lexington and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Illumina, headquartered in San Diego, California, was founded in 1998 with the goal of advancing genetic and life science research, genomics and molecular diagnostics.
According to the Illumina website, their products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture and other emerging segments. The company ranked third on MIT Technology Review’s list of the top 50 smartest companies in the world in 2016.
Source: Illumina