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Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta, is leaving the social media platform and will be replaced by Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican known for overseeing the company’s relationship with conservatives.
In a Meta Facebook post on Thursday, Clegg, a former leader of the Liberal Democrats and UK deputy prime minister, said he would be leaving the company after seven years. He added that he would spend “a few months handing over the reins” and representing Facebook at international gatherings before moving on to “new adventures.”
Kaplan previously served as White House deputy chief of staff during the George W Bush administration and is known for handling the company’s relationship with Republicans.
In the past, Facebook has denied allegations that certain figures, including Kaplan, had political influence over its decision-making processes and treatment of politicians.
The shakeup comes just weeks before Donald Trump — who has repeatedly accused Meta and other platforms of censoring and silencing conservative speech — is set to return to the White House.
Several Big Tech executives who previously had a frosty relationship with the Republican leader have since taken steps to court the president-elect. Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has dined with Trump at his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago since the US election and congratulated him on his victory. Semaphore first reported on the changes.
