Apple’s VP of Diversity and Inclusion Steps Down

Apple’s first-ever VP of Diversity and Inclusion, Denise Young Smith, is stepping down at the end of the year. Young Smith had only served in the position since May 2017, but TechCrunch reports that she had been in talks for a while with Apple CEO Tim Cook about her next steps. Earlier this week, The Beat DC shared Apple’s first and last diversity report under Young Smith’s leadership. White people make up 66% of the leaders at Apple in the U.S. Meanwhile, only 3% of Apple’s leaders in the U.S. are Black. Young Smith’s departure won’t help Black representation at the top as she is being replaced by Christie Smith, a white woman who spent 17 years as a Principal at Deloitte. Recently, Cornell Tech announced Young Smith would become an executive-in-residence starting in January. More here.