Apple today announced Dr. Wanda Austin, former president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, has been nominated for election to Apple’s board of directors. Dr. Austin brings decades of science and technology experience to her role, and she has a significant track record of advancing innovation and shaping corporate strategy.
As president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, Dr. Austin led an organization dedicated to supporting the U.S. space program and expanding opportunities for future exploration. She was the first woman and the first African American to hold the position.
“Wanda has spent decades advancing technology on behalf of humanity, and we’re thrilled to welcome her to Apple’s board of directors,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a statement. “She’s an extraordinary leader, and her invaluable experience and expertise will support our mission of leaving the world better than we found it.”
“Wanda has long been a leader in unleashing the potential of cutting-edge technology,” said Arthur Levinson, the chair of Apple’s board of directors, in a statement. “She brings incredible insights and experience to our board, and she will play an important role in helping Apple continue enriching users’ lives around the world.”
“Like Apple, I’ve always believed in the power of innovation to improve lives, support human potential, and shape a better future,” said Dr. Austin in a statement. “I’m honored to join Apple’s board of directors, and I look forward to being part of a company that’s always creating new ways to empower people all over the world.”
The board has a longstanding policy that directors generally may not stand for reelection after reaching age 75. As a result, Al Gore, who has served since 2003, and James Bell, who joined in 2015, will both retire from Apple’s board this year.
“We’re deeply grateful to Al and James for their many years of service to Apple — their insights, energy, and values have made us a stronger company in so many ways,” said Cook in a statemnt. “For more than 20 years, Al has contributed an incredible amount to our work — from his unconditional support for protecting our users’ privacy, to his incomparable knowledge of environment and climate issues. James’s dedication has been extraordinary, and we’re thankful for the important perspectives and deep expertise he’s offered on audit, finance, and so much more over the years.”
Dr. Wanda Austin began her tenure at The Aerospace Corporation in 1979, when she joined as a member of the organization’s technical staff. Over the following decades, she took on a wide range of new roles and responsibilities, including program management and major customer-facing systems management. From 2008 to 2016, she served as the organization’s president and CEO.
From 2018 to 2019, Dr. Austin was the interim president of the University of Southern California. She serves on the board of Amgen, a biotechnology company, and also serves on the board of Chevron, an American multinational energy corporation predominantly specializing in oil and gas, where she is the lead independent director. She served on the board of Virgin Galactic, the spaceflight company, from 2019 until 2023.
Dr. Austin is also a leading advocate for STEM education. Her book, Making Space: Strategic Leadership for a Complex World, explores the leadership principles she learned during her decades-long journey as an engineer and space industry executive.
Dr. Austin earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Franklin & Marshall College in 1975, and a master’s in civil engineering and mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1977. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Southern California in 1988.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple will welcome shareholders to its 2024 Annual Meeting, to be held virtually on February 28, 2024, at 9:00 A.M. Pacific Time.
To attend, vote, and submit questions during the Annual Meeting visit www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/AAPL2024 and enter the control number included in your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, voting instruction form, or proxy card. Online access to the webcast will open approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the Annual Meeting. Attendance at the Annual Meeting is subject to capacity limits set by the virtual meeting platform provider. To submit questions in advance of the Annual Meeting, visit proxyvote.com before 8:59 P.M. Pacific Time on February 27, 2024, and enter your control number.
See also:
• Epstein ‘sex slave’ Virginia Giuffre saw Apple Board member Al Gore on ‘pedo island,’ docs reveal – January 10, 2024
• NLPC moves to oust Tim Cook and Al Gore from Apple’s Board – February 24, 2023
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One day after this – Epstein ‘sex slave’ Virginia Giuffre saw Apple Board member Al Gore on ‘pedo island,’ docs reveal – Al Gore “retires” from Apple’s Board.
Don’t you just love it when an elitist sanctimonious know it all with ZERO talent exposed…
Will Apple ever hold a real shareholder meeting again? It is becoming a very sad shadow of what Steve Jobs created. There used to be exciting live product events with live demos and there were live in person shareholder meetings. Apple is now a virtual company that seems to enjoy hiding behind walls where noting “live” ever happens.
Although a little bland, I really enjoyed attending my only two shareholder meetings in 2019 and 2020 at the Steve Jobs Theatre at Apple Park. I appreciated the opportunity to share my opinion publicly at the first one and snap a group photo with Tim Cook at the second.
The pandemic is long over but Apple’s corporate firewall against its shareholders continues. The inability of Apple’s emerging leaders (increasingly Millennials and Gen X now) to give a live presentation is troubling. The scripted, pre-recorded events were a novelty the first few times but they’re deathly boring now and FAKE. Slickly produced videos blunt the brand’s connection to customers.
The human element is invaluable. It was never about just the product but the guy that presented it in a “hey, check out this cool thing we came up with” way. Craig Federighi has it, Phil Schiller did when he was still active.
Puffing up the diverse cast of mostly women, who apparently would DIE if they had to speak live, doesn’t add to their credibility. However qualified they might be in their roles, if they can’t hack it in front of a real audience then they shouldn’t be representing Apple in public.
Considering Al Gore was just documented as being on Pedo-Island by a female underaged victim of Epstein, and Gore’s past sexual assault accusations, it’s high time he go if Apple cares about women as they say.
A black woman! Score!
Ya-but, is she a lesbian?
Pretty sure she identifies as a he, and he is gay. +3 points!
I worked with Wanda Austin for 30 years. You have no idea how lucky Apple is to have such a wonderful, intelligent self-made WOMAN added to the Board. And you are very rude!
Frank Beni,
(Smart) people are sick and tired of DEI and CRT.
This is what DEI and CRT do, they diminish the real achievements of people like Dr. Wanda Austin. People see her and automatically see a token precisely because DEI and CRT exist.
DEI and CRT are twin cancers on race relations.
Frank Beni, I was with your comment until you added “WOMEN”. Explain to us how her gender and reproductive parts are somehow a measurement of her abilities. Can’t you see you’re just a sexist but for the other side. I bet you don’t troll the NFL/NBA about the value of gender. Why is it hard to wrap your head around the simple idea, the one most qualified is the one most qualified to do the job. You don’t fix sexism and racism of the past with more sexism and racism in the future. The only way to evolve out of bigotry is to stop it, Her resume was sounding great but DEI bullet points actual lead us to consider maybe she didn’t get the job because of her abilities but because she is WOMEN. You’re a low resolution bigoted sexist. Imagine how much impactful her appointment would have been if you/apple simple listed her abilities to do the job and not virtue signal with stereotype generalizations. In the end, people should be rewarded for their individuality. Every person that is promoted for DEI quotas then someone is excluded that was more qualified and the discrimination cycle continues. Something about judge people on the content of their character and not biological features. Stop segregating and dividing.
#include. Well said. Spot on. Thanks for posting.