Facebook Parent Meta Replaces President of Global Affairs with Joel Kaplan
Facebook parent Meta is shaking up its leadership, replacing Nick Clegg, the company’s president of global affairs, with Joel Kaplan, the current policy vice president. This change comes three weeks before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and is the latest sign of how tech companies are positioning themselves for a new administration in Washington.
Clegg, a former British deputy prime minister, is stepping down after nearly seven years with the company, citing the new year as the right time to move on. He will be replaced by Kaplan, who will take on the title of chief global affairs officer. Kaplan was previously the White House deputy chief of staff under former President George W. Bush and has also worked as a personal friend of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which has raised concerns for the social media company.
Clegg has been instrumental in guiding Meta through unprecedented scrutiny, particularly over the company’s influence on elections and its efforts to control harmful content. He helped the company navigate the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which Facebook shared user data with third-party political consultants, and represented the company in Washington and London in various panels and congressional hearings.
In a statement, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg praised Clegg’s contributions, saying that he built a strong team to carry on his work and is excited to have Kaplan take on the new role. Kaplan will work closely with David Ginsburg, the company’s vice president of global communications and public affairs, and will be replaced by Kevin Martin, a former Federal Communications Commission chairman, as the new vice president of global policy.