Apple names American Airlines veteran Nate Gatten as new government affairs chief

Investing.com -- Apple Inc. appointed Nate Gatten as its new head of government affairs, bringing in a longtime American Airlines Group Inc. executive with Republican connections to fill a key position at the technology company, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

Gatten will take on the title of vice president of government affairs on Aug. 31, Apple Senior Vice President and General Counsel Jennifer Newstead reportedly said in an internal memo. Kate Adams, the previous legal chief who had served as senior vice president of government affairs, will remain in an advisory role until Oct. 1.

The appointment represents a shift in the government affairs role. Until last year, Lisa Jackson held these responsibilities while also overseeing environmental, policy and social initiatives.

Gatten is expected to work closely with Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, who has taken a more direct role in managing the relationship with the White House in recent years.

Gatten, a Republican, served as American's head of government affairs from 2017 until this week. He previously held a similar position at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Apple sought someone who could align with the Trump administration, according to people familiar with the company's thinking. Gatten also has experience in real estate that could assist the iPhone maker as the company expands its retail chain and other operations, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations were private.

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