Is Apple Chief Designer Jony Ive Designing A Route Out of The Company?

Normally a promotion is something to celebrate.
For Apple's design guru Jonathan Ive, however, it's proving to be more bittersweet.
Ive, the designer behind Apple's most successful products has been promoted to the newly created role of Chief Design Officer,
He is now the third C-level executive at the world's most valuable company.
On the one hand, the most influential employee at Apple is now getting a title to match.
On the other hand, the title change is framed as giving Ive the opportunity to travel more, "think more freely" and unchain him from the burdens of day-to-day management at Apple.
However, the move may be the first clear succession plan and prove to be Ive's first step out the door.