Apple and Meta Trade Execs in Latest Leadership Reshuffle
Alan Dye (left) and Jennifer Newstead [Apple | Meta]
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It’s starting to feel like departure week at Apple. Three days ago, Apple formally announced John Giannandrea’s retirement as senior VP of Machine Learning and AI Strategy. This was followed by news of software design chief Alan Dye’s defection to Meta, and now Apple is rounding that out by announcing two more impending executive departures, marking four high-profile changes to the company’s upper echelons in a single week.
To be clear, not all of these are happening right away. While Giannandrea has officially vacated his role as senior VP, he’ll be sticking around as an advisor until March 2026. Dye is likely going sooner; he’s slated to start in his role as Meta’s chief design officer on December 31, though his official departure date from Cupertino remains unconfirmed.
The Executive Departures at a Glance:
Jeff Williams: Former COO & SVP, Design, Watch, and Health (Retired Nov 2025)
John Giannandrea: SVP, Machine Learning and AI Strategy (Retiring Mar 2026)
Alan Dye: VP, Interface Design (Leaving for Meta Dec 2025)
Lisa Jackson: VP, Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives (Retiring Jan 2026)
Kate Adams: SVP, General Counsel (Retiring late 2026)
However, the other two “executive transitions” that Apple announced yesterday afternoon won’t occur until next year. This will begin with the retirement of Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, in late January.
“I am deeply appreciative of Lisa’s contributions. She has been instrumental in helping us reduce our global greenhouse emissions by more than 60 percent compared to 2015 levels,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “She has also been a critical strategic partner in engaging governments around the world, advocating for the best interests of our users on a myriad of topics, as well as advancing our values, from education and accessibility to privacy and security.”
Similar to what we saw when former chief operating officer Jeff Williams retired last month, Jackson’s portfolio will be split, with “Policy” becoming “Government Affairs” and being placed under Katherine (“Kate”) Adams, Apple’s general counsel who also holds a senior VP title, while the Environment and Social Initiatives will transition to Apple’s new chief operating officer, Sabih Khan.
However, Adams’ oversight of the new Government Affairs organization will be short-lived, as she’s the other executive in Apple’s announcement, slated to retire later next year.
“Kate has been an integral part of the company for the better part of a decade, having provided critical advice while always advocating on behalf of our customers’ right to privacy and protecting Apple’s right to innovate,” Cook said. “I am incredibly grateful to her for the leadership she has provided, for her remarkable determination across a myriad of highly complex issues, and above all, for her thoughtfulness, her deeply strategic mind, and her sound counsel.”
Apple will transition Adams’ responsibilities to a new senior vice president, Jennifer Newstead, who will officially take over the duties of Apple’s general counsel on March 1, 2026. Kate Adams will continue to oversee Government Affairs until she retires, after which Newstead will become senior vice president, General Counsel and Government Affairs.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to have Jennifer join our team,” said Cook. “She brings an extraordinary depth of experience and skill to the role, and will advance Apple’s important work all over the world. We are also pleased that Jennifer will be overseeing both the Legal and Government Affairs organizations, given the increasing overlap between the work of both teams and her substantial background in international affairs. I know she will be an excellent leader going forward.”
The specific legal skills and certification required makes Apple’s general counsel one of the rare senior executive positions that’s traditionally filled from outside the company. Kate Adams came to Apple in 2017 after 9 years in a similar role at Honeywell and a legal background that included being a partner at Sidley Austin LLP in New York, a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and a trial attorney for the US Department of Justice.
In a twist of corporate irony, Jennifer Newstead comes over from her role as chief legal officer at Meta — the same company that recently lured Alan Dye away and has been poaching quite a bit of Apple’s AI talent. Before joining Meta in 2019, she served as the legal adviser of the US Department of State, and has held several other government positions, including general counsel of the White House Office of Management and Budget, principal deputy assistant attorney general of the Office of Legal Policy at the Department of Justice, associate White House counsel, and as a law clerk to Justice Stephen Breyer of the U.S. Supreme Court. Before entering public service, she was a partner at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, where Apple notes she advised global corporations on a wide variety of issues.
While this latest round of shakeups may not have as visible of an impact on Apple’s products and services, Newstead’s experience in the White House and Justice Department will likely have a significant impact on Apple’s response to legal and regulatory issues going forward. Given the current antitrust climate, it’s easy to see why Apple is consolidating Government Affairs under its general counsel.
