Apple’s govt shake-up continues. Days after saying AI chief John Giannandrea’s departure, and the lack of design exec Alan Dye to Meta, the iPhone maker shared the information of two extra exec retirements.
Kate Adams, who has served as Apple’s normal counsel since 2017, will retire late subsequent yr, whereas Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vp for Atmosphere, Coverage, and Social Initiatives, will retire in late January 2026.
The corporate additionally introduced the hiring of Jennifer Newstead, who will grow to be its normal counsel on March 1, 2026, reporting to chief govt Tim Prepare dinner, after a transition of duties from Adams.
Newstead arrives from Meta, the place she was chief authorized officer. Earlier than that, she served because the authorized adviser of the U.S. Division of State, the place she led the workforce advising the Secretary of State on authorized points affecting the conduct of U.S. international relations.
She additionally held different authorities positions up to now, together with as normal counsel of the White Home Workplace of Administration and Funds, as a principal deputy assistant lawyer normal of the Workplace of Authorized Coverage on the Division of Justice, as affiliate White Home counsel, and as a regulation clerk to Justice Stephen Breyer of the U.S. Supreme Courtroom.
Newstead will oversee each the Authorized and Authorities Affairs organizations, famous Prepare dinner.
“We couldn’t be extra happy to have Jennifer be a part of our workforce,” he stated. “She brings a rare depth of expertise and talent to the position, and can advance Apple’s essential work all around the world.”
Throughout Adams’s time at Apple, the corporate confronted elevated antitrust regulation and lawsuits, largely targeted on growing competitors within the app market.
In the meantime, Jackson, who had beforehand been appointed to the EPA earlier than becoming a member of Apple in 2013, was concerned with Apple’s local weather initiatives, sustainability efforts, environmental impression, and DEI-focused endeavors, like its Racial Fairness and Justice Initiative. Such efforts have fallen out of favor at company giants below the Trump administration.
“I’m deeply appreciative of Lisa’s contributions. She has been instrumental in serving to us scale back our international greenhouse emissions by greater than 60 % in comparison with 2015 ranges,” stated Prepare dinner, in an announcement. “She has additionally been a essential strategic accomplice in partaking governments all over the world, advocating for the most effective pursuits of our customers on a myriad of matters, in addition to advancing our values, from schooling and accessibility to privateness and safety.”
Apple has seen plenty of modifications in management in current months, having additionally introduced the departure of chief working officer Jeff Williams in July, with duties shifting to Sabih Khan, who had beforehand served because the senior vp of operations. Earlier than Giannandrea’s exit, Apple had changed him as head of the Siri workforce with Mike Rockwell, who had been VP of the Imaginative and prescient Merchandise Group.
The corporate additionally misplaced Ke Yang, the manager main Apple’s work on AI-driven net search, to Meta; and it noticed the departure of Ruoming Pang, Apple’s former head of AI fashions, who left for Meta earlier this yr.
The management modifications as Apple has fallen behind within the AI race, pushing again the launch of an AI-powered Siri, which is able to now run Google’s fashions below the hood. Apple has additionally been criticized by designers for shedding its sharp consideration to element that the corporate has lengthy been recognized for. This reportedly led to some celebration of Dye’s departure amongst Apple staff, per a report from Daring Fireball, who’re glad {that a} profession interface and interplay designer, Stephen Lemay, has taken over the position.