Apple's VP for Diversity Exits Company After Six Months on the Job
Recent reports have revealed that Apple's vice president for diversity and inclusion Denise Young Smith will be leaving the company after just six months of serving in the position. She will be replaced by Christie Smith, who served as a principal at Deloitte for the last 17 years.
According to a report by TechCrunch, Young Smith's departure from the company may have been decided after her comment in Columbia in which she stated that there can be a room full of white males and it would still be considered diversity. Young Smith was criticized for her comment as it was perceived to be a justification of male dominance in Apple. She has since apologized for it.
Furthermore, sources revealed in the publication that Young Smith has met multiple times with Apple's chief executive officer Tim Cook about the next stage of her career. Apple then spent the last few months searching for a successor.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"We deeply believe that diversity drives innovation. We're thrilled to welcome an accomplished leader like Christie Smith to help us continue the progress we've made toward a more diverse workplace," Apple said in a statement, as reported by The Verge.
Apple recently released their first and last diversity report under Young Smith, which revealed that the tech giant is comprised of 32 percent females worldwide. Nationwide, it is still predominantly comprised of males at 54 percent, which is two percentage points down from last year. Furthermore, Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial employees have also observed an increase in Young Smith.
Meanwhile, her successor, Smith, has given special attention to diversity and inclusion during her career at Deloitte. She will be reporting to Apple's vice president for people Deirdre O'Brien. There is no word yet on the future prospects of Young Smith, but more information on the internal changes is expected to be revealed in the coming months. In the meantime, fans are hoping that Smith will continue the changes that her predecessor has already enacted.
