Apple Executive Shakeup: Lisa Jackson and Kate Adams to Depart, Jennifer Newstead Named General Counsel

Apple is facing another round of executive changes, confirming today that both General Counsel Kate Adams and environmental chief Lisa Jackson are on their way out. Stepping in to help steady the transition is Jennifer Newstead, a former Meta legal executive who will become Apple's next general counsel.

Jackson — who has overseen Apple's environmental, policy, and social initiatives since 2013 — will retire in late January 2026. Her planned exit comes amid a broader reshuffling of Apple's leadership that has accelerated in recent months. Adams, who took over as general counsel in 2017, will hand off the bulk of her responsibilities on March 1, 2026. She'll stay on for the rest of the year to manage the Government Affairs group before retiring herself.

With both departures approaching, Apple is reorganizing the teams they leave behind. Newstead joins in January as a senior vice president and will ultimately lead a combined Legal and Government Affairs organization. The company says the consolidation reflects the increasing overlap between the two areas. Apple's environmental and social initiatives, meanwhile, will shift under Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan — an expansion of his role that comes shortly after he was tapped to oversee parts of Apple's AI group following the departure of John Giannandrea.


Newstead brings a long résumé. Before joining Meta as chief legal officer, she served as the legal adviser at the U.S. Department of State and held senior posts at the White House and the Department of Justice. Apple CEO Tim Cook described her as well suited to a role that increasingly blends legal work with government engagement.

The leadership churn comes during a period of unusual turnover for the company. Longtime COO Jeff Williams retired in November, and design chief Alan Dye recently left for Meta. Jackson's departure closes a chapter marked by Apple's aggressive push toward its carbon-reduction goals, including the recent expansion of renewable energy projects across Europe and China.

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