HTC's head of design, Scott Croyle is leaving the company to work on his own projects but will take on a new advisory role to help the Taiwan-based company with the transition.
HTC is losing another top-level executive, Scott Croyle, who served as the senior vice president and head of design at the Taiwan-based firm. Croyle's departure can be a significant loss for HTC but his exit isn't a surprise for the company.
In its confirmation to The Verge, HTC described the move as a "long-term transition."
Croyle, the man behind the stunning design of HTC One and One (M8), will assist the company with product development as a consultant before he steps down from his role of product design head.
"HTC remains at the forefront of smartphone innovation," a company spokesman said in an e-mailed statement to CNET News, Friday. "Scott Croyle will be focusing on special projects and dedicated on next generation developments."
Croyle joined HTC in 2008 after the smartphone maker acquired his San Francisco-based design studio, One & Co. He did not shift many roles within the company as he directly reported to Chou and operated under the single title of head of design since joining.
Croyle's departure from the company comes at a crucial stage when HTC, once the top seller of Android smartphones, is losing its market share to rivals such as Apple and Samsung. With smartphone design being the most talked-about feature in high-end phones, HTC should find a new way to maintain the image Croyle built for the company.
Croyle's exit also leaves a bagful of responsibilities for the company, including the development of next year's flagship HTC smartphone. Croyle will probably pass on the torch to the second in command, Jonah Becker. In a subsequent internal reshuffle, Drew Bamford, who worked on Sense and previously reported to Croyle, will now report to HTC Chief Executive Peter Chou. According to CNET News, Bamford was recently promoted to run HTC's software and services.
"Drew Bamford is an experienced and talented leader at HTC with solid track records in leading and building our user experience team," the spokesman added. "Effective immediately, in addition to his current duties in product development and user experience, Drew will lead HTC Creative Labs and focus on innovative new products and user experience strategies."
