Lisa Jackson, senior vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives at Apple Inc., speaks at TechCrunch Disrupt 2017 on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 in San Francisco, California.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
apple’s The iPhone maker announced Thursday that general counsel Kate Adams and vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives Lisa Jackson are leaving the company.
jennifer newstead meta Jackson, who is chief legal officer, will become Apple’s new general counsel in March, and her government affairs staff will report to her starting late next year, Apple said.
Both executives report directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook and are the latest senior executives to leave the company. In recent weeks, Apple’s head of software design announced he was leaving to join Meta, while Apple announced its head of AI was leaving along with its chief operating officer.
Adams joined Apple from Honeywell and became general counsel in 2017, overseeing legal matters including litigation, global security and the company’s privacy efforts. Under Adams, Apple grappled with increased antitrust scrutiny and regulation around the world, including restrictions on the iPhone App Store and a major lawsuit in the United States over fees.
Jackson joined Apple in 2013 and led the company’s diversity program and many policy efforts in Washington, DC. Prior to that, he spent four years as the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, appointed by President Barack Obama.
Jackson’s work, which focuses on areas such as social justice and renewable energy, lost relevance during the second Trump administration, when he publicly denounced diversity, equity and inclusion programs and criticized efforts to combat climate change.
Apple faces increased tariffs from the Trump administration, and Cook has met with President Donald Trump several times as part of an effort to influence policy and touted the company’s U.S. manufacturing plans.
Jackson was instrumental in the Racial Equity and Justice Initiative launched by Apple in response to the 2020 killing of George Floyd. She later helped expand the company’s commitment to equity and justice to other countries, including the United Kingdom, Mexico and New Zealand, according to a report published in 2023.
In a passage from the report, Jackson said, “At Apple, we pledge that our resolve will never fade.” “We will not delay action. We will continue to tackle the urgent task of advancing equity every day.”
Mr. Jackson also worked on Apple’s environmental image. According to her bio on the company’s website, her work “focused on reducing greenhouse gases, protecting air and water quality, preventing exposure to toxic pollution, and increasing community outreach on environmental issues.” She spoke about Apple’s plans to become carbon neutral at the iPhone launch event.
Mr. Jackson also accompanied Mr. Cook to several official events in Washington, including a state dinner.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple Vice President Lisa Jackson arrive at the White House for a state dinner in Washington, DC on April 10, 2024.
Tasos Katopodis | Getty Images
Newstead, who will become Apple’s top lawyer, has been overseeing Meta’s legal and regulatory matters related to the company’s family of apps since 2019, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. A Meta spokesperson said Newstead will remain in her role until the end of the year and the company is actively searching for her replacement.
Prior to joining Mehta, Newstead served as General Counsel to the State Department, appointed by President Trump during President Trump’s first administration in 2019.
Previously, he served in the U.S. government as a partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell and general counsel for the White House Office of Management and Budget.
CNBC’s Jonathan Vanian contributed to this article.
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