After being an Apple board member for over 17 years and contributing as an innovator and advisor, Bill Campbell announced on Thursday, July 17, 2014, that he would be stepping down to appoint Susan Wagner as a director. After continual backlash and criticism about Apple's lack of gender diversity in monumental positions, Wagner will become the second woman on the eight-person board.
According to SF Gate, Campbell began his work with Apple in the 1980s as an executive, and then joined the board in 1997. From there he worked with Steve Jobs and counseled other executives, including Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Tim Cook, Apple's current CEO, stated: "Bill's contributions to Apple are immeasurable and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude." According to Forbes, one of Campbell's first jobs was to oversee the 1984 Super Bowl commercial for Apple, and his leadership throughout the next few decades would inspire and create new and innovative projects for the company to excel in the technological world.
Susan Wagner has served on the boards of Apple and Blackrock, and has been a director at a number of schools throughout the country. She has stated that she is "honored" to join the board, and is looking forward to a bright future with the company.