Apple diversity chief to leave months after taking the role

[SAN FRANCISCO] Apple Inc's head of diversity and inclusion is leaving the technology company after a few months in the role. Denise Young Smith will depart at the end of 2017 and will be succeeded by Christie Smith, a veteran of accounting firm Deloitte LLP, an Apple spokesman said.

Ms Young Smith was named to the diversity role in May. Before that, the 20-year Apple veteran oversaw human resources at the iPhone maker, which included diversity efforts.

Ms Young Smith, who is black, apologised to her team in October after she was reported by TechCrunch and other news organisations to have told a conference that a group of "white blue-eyed blond men" could also be considered diverse based on their different life experience and perspective.

Ms Young Smith is joining the faculty of Cornell University's New York technology campus. TechCrunch reported her departure from Apple earlier on Thursday.

BLOOMBERG