Apple’s Head of Diversity Christie Smith Exits the Company

Apple’s head of diversity and inclusion Christie Smith has reportedly left the company. This comes at a time when Apple has vowed to combat systemic racism.

Christie Smith, who has worked under Apple’s senior VP of retail and people Dierdre O’Brien, has reportedly left the company. According to Bloomberg, Smith’s exit has been planned two months ago and her last day was sometime earlier this week. Smith has worked with the company since 2017 and reported directly to O’Brien. In contrast, her predecessor reported to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Apple confirmed the news via a statement, which reads:

“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.”

Smith’s departure comes only weeks after Cook wrote an open memo to employees offering resources and reaffirming its stance against racism. Cook said that Apple will be donating a large sum to non-profit organizations including Equal Justice. Cook’s letter was in response to the late May murder of George Floyd.

Apple has a public diversity report, sharing updates on its workforce. According to stats from 2018, more than 50% of the company’s new hires in 2018 were Black, Hispanic, or from other underrepresented groups. Women accounted for 38% of Apple’s workforce under the age of 30. While women accounted for 33% of the company’s overall workforce.