Jackson, who holds the title of “vice president for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives,” is set to retire in “late January 2026,” according to Apple. Newstead, currently serving as Meta’s chief legal officer, will step into the role of Apple’s general counsel starting March 1st, 2026, taking over from Adams, who has held the position since 2017.
With Jackson’s upcoming retirement and Newstead’s arrival, Apple is also implementing some organizational changes and reallocating responsibilities to Sabih Khan, the new COO. As Apple outlined: the Government Affairs organization will be transitioned to Adams, who will lead the team until her retirement late next year, after which Newstead will take over. Newstead’s new title will be senior vice president, General Counsel and Government Affairs, which reflects the merging of these two departments. The Environment and Social Initiatives teams will now report to Apple’s chief operating officer, Sabih Khan.
Before joining Apple in 2013, Jackson was at the helm of the EPA during part of President Obama’s administration. Apple elevated Jackson to the position of policy lead in 2015. Adams joined Apple in 2017 after spending 14 years at Honeywell, as noted on Apple’s website.
