Apple shareholders reject proposal to scrap DEI

On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, Apple shareholders turned down a suggestion to scrap the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The push to ditch DEI came from the National Center for Public Policy Research which urged Apple to join the ranks of other big firms that have stepped away from such programs.
Kate Gibson for CBS News:
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“DEI poses litigation, reputational and financial risks to companies, and therefore financial risks to their shareholders, and therefore further risks to companies for not abiding by their fiduciary duties,” according to the proposal offered by the group.
“The risks to Apple stemming from continuing to push these divisive and value-destroying agendas is only increasing in light of President Trump’s recent executive order focusing the Department of Justice on rooting out illegal discrimination being carried out in the name of DEI,” Stephen Padfield, executive director of the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Free Enterprise Project, said in a prerecorded statement played to shareholders on Tuesday. “The vibe shift is clear, DEI is out and annual merit is in,” Padfield said.
“We’ve never had quotas or targets for Apple. Our strength has always come from hiring the very best people and then providing a culture of collaboration,” Apple CEO Tim Cook stated during the meeting’s question-and-answer period. “As the legal landscape around these issues evolves, we may need to make some changes to comply.”
[The DEI] trend has unraveled of late, with technology titan Google and discount store chain Target joining Walmart and other corporations in scaling back their diversity initiatives under pressure from conservative activists emboldened by court rulings and by President Trump, who has banned DEI programs across the federal government.

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MacDailyNews Note: As usual, shareholders followed Apple’s BoD’s recommendations on this year’s proposals.

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