Apple’s VP of diversity departs company after less than a year in position

Apple’s first vice president of inclusion and diversity, Denise Young Smith, will leave the company at the end of the year.

Smith took the position back in May, and had previously been with the company for 20 years.

Replacing her is Christie Smith, who previously worked for audit and consulting firm Deloitte for 17 years. Christie Smith will take over the position next year.

Denise Young Smith’s departure follows a controversial statement she made last month that was criticized for seemingly defending a lack of diversity at Apple. “There can be 12 white, blue-eyed, blonde men in a room, and they’re going to be diverse too because they’re going to bring a different life experience and life perspective to the conversation,” she said in a conference at the time, according to Quartz.

Smith subsequently apologized for the remarks in an email sent out to Apple staff.

Apple is predominantly run by Caucasian males, with 81 percent of the company’s senior officials being men and 82 percent of them being white, according to a 2016 government filing Apple released early November.

Via: TechCrunch