Apple Inc. has hired Cynthia Bowman as its new diversity chief as the iPhone maker seeks to make its workforce more inclusive.

Banking veteran Cynthia Bowman will succeed Barbara Whye as vice president of inclusion and diversity. She will be the fourth executive to hold this position in recent years.

“We are excited that Cynthia Bowman will serve as Apple’s next Vice-President of inclusion and diversity,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement.

“Bowman is an accomplished leader in her field and is deeply committed to the work we’re doing to advance inclusion and diversity at Apple,” the spokesperson added. — Bloomberg

Cynthia Bowman, a seasoned professional with a remarkable 17-year tenure as the Chief Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Responsibility Officer at Bank of America, brings a wealth of expertise and experience to her new role at Apple.

She will replace Barbara Whye, who took the job in early 2021. Cynthia Bowman takes over the role from Barbara Whye, who spent 25 years at Intel Corp. before joining Apple in 2021.

The company stated, “Whye’s retirement is planned for this fall, and she and Cynthia are working together to successfully transition to this vitally important work.” 

The job involves reporting to Apple’s chief people officer, Carol Surface, and working with groups within the company to support diversity.

DEI At Apple 

Apple’s commitment to diversity includes its $200 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, which focuses on education, criminal justice reform, and economic equality. 

As the new diversity chief, Bowman will report to Apple’s Chief People Officer, Carol Surface, and work with various internal groups to support these initiatives.

Apple’s efforts to diversify its workforce have shown mixed results and have been marked by turnover in its top diversity position. 

While Apple has made strides in improving diversity within its workforce, significant challenges remain. 

Between 2014 and 2022, the percentage of Black employees at Apple increased from 7% to 9%, Asian employees doubled to 30%, and Latina workers rose from 11% to 15%. 

Globally, the proportion of women in Apple’s workforce increased from 30% to 35%. However, Apple has not published updated diversity statistics since 2022.

At the same time, the general push for diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, has faced a backlash in corporate America. According to Forrester Research, the proportion of US companies that fund a DEI function is set to drop to just 20% by the end of this year, compared with 33% in 2022.