Apple is moving around executives in its HR, Apple University and Mac Operations, claims reports in Bloomberg and 9to5Mac. The company will lose one executive to retirement, while shuffling the other two to different positions within the company. The biggest change in Apple’s leadership is taking place in HR and Apple University, the company’s training program for management. Joel Podolny, head of the company’s global human resources department, is moving out of HR and will work full-time at Apple University, a program he helped to establish under the leadership of Steve Jobs.

Podolny’s now vacant position in HR will be filled by former retail HR head, Denise Young Smith. Smith oversaw the HR needs of Apple’s 42,800 retail employees. These executive changes were confirmed in a statement sent to Bloomberg from Apple representative Kristin Huguet.

“We are excited that Denise Young Smith will expand her role to lead Apple’s worldwide human resources organization. Apple University is an increasingly important resource within the company as we continue to grow, so Joel Podolny will be focusing full-time on developing and scaling the University he helped establish.”

Beside these transitions in HR and Apple University, the Mac Operations group is also changing. Rita Lane, Apple’s vice president of operations for the iPad, Mac desktops, and Mac accessories, is retiring from the company according to 9to5Mac, which spotted the changes in her LinkedIn profile. Lane was a former supply chain Vice President at Motorola and was hired away from the handset maker in 2008 by Tim Cook. Before Motorola, she worked at IBM as a supply chain executive.

In her role as VP of operations, she likely was in charge of securing the components necessary for the manufacturing of iPads and Macs. She was regarded as one of the highest ranking women at Apple and was a “disciple of Tim Cook.” Her successor is not known.