Apple Reshuffles Leadership: Jennifer Newstead to Take Reins as General Counsel, Lisa Jackson and Kate Adams to Retire

Apple announced significant changes to its executive leadership team on December 4, 2025, revealing that General Counsel Kate Adams and Vice President for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson will both retire in 2026. Jennifer Newstead, most recently Chief Legal Officer at Meta, will join Apple as Senior Vice President in January to lead the company's legal and government affairs strategy.

The Cupertino-based tech giant is consolidating its Legal and Government Affairs organizations under Newstead's leadership, a move that signals a strategic pivot to address the increasing overlap between regulatory compliance and corporate legal defense.

Newstead Takes the Helm Amid Regulatory Convergence

Jennifer Newstead is set to join Apple in January 2026 as a senior vice president, reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook. She will officially assume the role of General Counsel on March 1, 2026. Her title will eventually expand to Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Government Affairs, reflecting the merger of the two previously distinct organizations.

Tim Cook highlighted Newstead’s background in his statement, noting her "extraordinary depth of experience" and "substantial background in international affairs." Newstead’s resume includes serving as the legal adviser of the U.S. Department of State and General Counsel of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

“I have long admired Apple’s deep focus on innovation and strong commitment to its values,” Newstead said regarding her appointment. “I am honored to join the company and to lead an extraordinary team who are dedicated each and every day to doing what’s in the best interest of Apple’s users.”

This consolidation comes as Apple faces complex global challenges. By bringing government affairs and legal teams under one leader with State Department experience, Apple appears to be streamlining its approach to navigating international policy and legal hurdles simultaneously.

The Departure of Two Long-Time Executives

Kate Adams, who has served as Apple's General Counsel since 2017, will retire late next year. To ensure a smooth handover, she will transition her duties to Newstead in March but will continue to oversee the Government Affairs organization until her departure in late 2026.

Cook credited Adams with being an "integral part of the company" and praised her for "advocating on behalf of our customers’ right to privacy and protecting Apple’s right to innovate." Adams expressed gratitude for her eight-year tenure, stating, “I am proud of the good our wonderful team has done... Jennifer is an exceptional talent and I am confident that I am leaving the team in the very best hands.”

Simultaneously, Lisa Jackson will retire in late January 2026. A former Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Jackson joined Apple in 2013 and has been the public face of the company’s environmental initiatives. During her tenure, she oversaw a reduction in Apple’s global greenhouse emissions by more than 60 percent compared to 2015 levels.

“I have been lucky to work with leaders who understand that reducing our environmental impact is not just good for the environment, but good for business,” Jackson said.

Following Jackson's retirement, the Environment and Social Initiatives teams will report to Apple Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan, integrating these critical sustainability goals directly into the company’s operational leadership.

Strategic Implications for Apple's Future

These transitions mark a distinct shift in how Apple structures its corporate governance. Moving environmental oversight to the COO suggests sustainability is now fully operationalized within Apple's supply chain and manufacturing processes, rather than standing as a separate policy vertical.

Furthermore, the unification of legal and government affairs under Newstead—a veteran of both the private sector (Meta) and high-level government service—points to a future where Apple’s legal strategy is inextricably linked with its public policy advocacy. As Cook noted, there is an "increasing overlap between the work of both teams," making this consolidation a logical step for a company operating on a massive global scale.