Apple’s Vice President, Inclusion and Diversity Christie Smith left the company on Tuesday. The move was reportedly planned two months ago, and Ms. Smith exited the company this week (via Bloomberg News). Her LinkedIn profile says her time at Apple ended this month.
Apple Diversity Chief Christie Smith Exits
Ms. Smith joined Apple in 2017, having spent 16 years at Deloitte. She commuted between Seattle and Cupertino and reported directly to Deirdre O’Brien, the senior vice president, Retail + People. However, her predecessor Denise Young Smith reported directly to CEO Tim Cook for the six-months she was in post. In a statement commenting on the move, Apple said:
Inclusion and diversity are core Apple values and we deeply believe the most diverse teams are the most innovative teams. Christie Smith will be leaving Apple to spend more time with her family and we wish her well. Our Inclusion and Diversity team continues to report directly to Deirdre O’Brien on the Executive Team.
The departure comes amidst Apple’s response to the growing Black Lives Matter protests. It has launched a racial equity and justice initiative led by SVP Lisa Jackson. Mr. Cook also recently wrote an open letter regarding racism. He said that ” to create change, we have to reexamine our own views and actions in light of a pain that is deeply felt but too often ignored.”