Apple this week announced the hiring of Cynthia Bowman, a banking veteran, as its new Vice President of Inclusion and Diversity. She’s taking over the role from Barbara Whye, who joined the company in 2021 after leaving Intel.

Apple has a new diversity chief

The news was confirmed by an Apple spokesperson to Bloomberg. “We are excited that Cynthia Bowman will serve as Apple’s next Vice President of Inclusion and Diversity,” the company said. “Cynthia is an accomplished leader in her field and is deeply committed to the work we’re doing to advance inclusion and diversity at Apple.”

Before joining Apple, Bowman worked for Bank of America for 17 years. She has also worked for companies such as Accenture and AT&T. The executive will report to Apple’s Chief People Officer Carol Surface, and will work with groups to support diversity.

Apple is known for investing in many social policies. For instance, the company has invested more than $200 million in its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, which aims to increase inclusion by improving education, criminal justice reform and economic quality. Apple has also been putting more effort into improving diversity in its workforce.

“Between 2014 and 2022, the percentage of Black employees rose to about 9% from 7% in the US. The number of Asian employees doubled to 30%, while the share of Latino workers increased to 15% from 11%,” the report says. Of course, there’s still a lot to be done, and hopefully Bowman will help with that.

As for Whye, the executive is retiring and will be working together with Bowman over the coming months for a seamless transition.

Read also