Meta Platforms is parting ways with one of its most influential leaders in relations with Washington. Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan will leave the company in 2027 after more than 15 years at the company, a spokesman for the technology giant confirmed to Reuters.
Kaplan will stay on for several more months to help with the transition. His departure comes at a sensitive political moment - just before the US midterm elections on November 3.
Some of his responsibilities will be taken over by Meta President and Vice Chairman Dina Powell McCormick, who will add external relations to her current portfolio. She has significant experience in both business and Washington, and served in Donald Trump’s first term as president.
Kaplan took over Meta’s top global policy post in January 2025, succeeding former British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. The move coincided with a reorientation of some of the company’s U.S. policies and efforts to improve its relationship with the Trump administration.
At the time, Meta was ending its U.S. fact-checking program, rolling back some of its diversity initiatives, and taking steps toward closer ties with the Republican administration. Kaplan was a key figure in that process.
Before joining the then-Facebook in 2011, he served as deputy chief of staff for policy affairs in the administration of President George W. Bush. Over the years at Meta, he has been involved in the company’s relationships with governments and regulators during a period of increasing controversy over content moderation, privacy, and technology regulations.
The leadership change also comes at a time when Meta is facing a new kind of political and public pressure related to its massive investment in artificial intelligence. Along with the safety of AI, there are growing questions about data centers and their impact on power systems and local communities.
Kaplan has yet to announce his next professional move. According to his post on X, he intends to spend more time with his family after the transition is complete before deciding what to do next.