Apple is accelerating a generational shift in its executive ranks. Some observers said CEO Cook is preparing for retirement.
Apple said on the 4th that Senior Vice President Kate Adams, who has overseen legal, and Vice President Lisa Jackson, who has overseen environment, government affairs, and social initiatives, are leaving the company.
Jennifer Newstead, Meta's chief legal officer (CLO), has been named to succeed Senior Vice President Adams. A Yale Law School graduate, Newstead served as legal adviser at the U.S. State Department. Newstead will join Apple in January next year as a senior vice president, take over duties from Adams, and then assume the role of general counsel on Mar. 1.
Senior Vice President Kate Adams joined Apple from Honeywell in 2017 and has overseen legal. She oversaw legal matters including litigation, global security, and the company's privacy. When Adams took the role, Apple had to fight increasing antitrust scrutiny and regulation worldwide.
Vice President Jackson will also step down in January next year. With Jackson's departure, the environment and social initiatives areas will report to Chief Operating Officer (COO) Sabih Khan. Government affairs will be led on an interim basis by Senior Vice President Adams until the end of next year and, after her retirement, move under the new general counsel Newstead.
Vice President Jackson joined Apple in 2013 and oversaw the company's diversity programs and policy work in Washington, D.C. Before that, she served four years as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), appointed by President Barack Obama. However, Jackson's role shrank as the second Trump administration began. The Trump administration publicly criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
CEO Tim Cook said, "There is increasing overlap between the work of the legal and government affairs teams," and added, "Given Newstead's extensive experience in international issues, she will be an excellent leader."
Apple has recently been reshuffling its executive lineup. Last month, COO Jeff Williams, long seen as Cook's successor, left the company, and Senior Vice President John Giannandrea, who had overseen AI, also stepped down after poor AI results. A day earlier, there were reports that Alan Dye, who led Apple's user interface design, would also move to Meta.
The Financial Times (FT) reported last month, citing multiple sources, that Apple's board and senior executives have stepped up preparations for Cook's succession. The most likely successor currently being mentioned is Senior Vice President John Ternus, who leads Apple's hardware engineering institutional sector.