Apple loses key health technology executive
Senior Apple executive Yoky Matsuoka, who joined in May to help oversee its health technology plans, has reportedly left the business.
Apple loses key health executive, who was working on Apple Watch products.
Bloomberg revealed the news, though neither Matsuoka or Apple have commented on it.
She was hired to steer the company’s plans for its HealthKit tracking applications as well as develop the patient medical service CareKit and ResearchKit products for running medical studies on Apple devices. Alongside these responsibilities, Matsuoka was involved in the development of those machine learning algorthms Apple could use for its health products.
While at the company, she reported to Apple’s chief operating officer Jeff Williams, who leads the teams for the Apple Watch, health research and fitness applications.
Her departure is seen as a blow for the technology business, which has high hopes for the health arena given ongoing investments in machine learning, wearable technology and fitness applications. Since 2014, the business has been filling its health teams with industry experts; Apple’s vice president in charge of medical research and related technologies Michael O’Reilly was previously the chief medical officer at health technology firm Masimo Corp. In 2013, the business hired famed fitness instructor and a consultant at Nike Jay Blahnik as director of its fitness applications.