Meta global affairs chief Joel Kaplan reportedly plans to leave in 2027

Meta chief global affairs officer Joel Kaplan is set to leave in 2027 after more than 15 years as Mark Zuckerberg’s top Washington adviser, Mike Allen reports for Axios.

Kaplan built Facebook’s U.S. policy team from scratch and led its global policy team through years of growth and controversy, Axios reports. Zuckerberg told Axios in a statement: “Joel has worked on virtually every tough issue Meta has faced for more than 15 years.”

Kaplan will stay through the 2026 midterms and into 2027 for a transition involving Meta external affairs executives from both sides of the aisle, according to Axios. The report says Meta president and vice chairman Dina Powell McCormick will add external affairs to her portfolio, while chief legal officer C.J. Mahoney will gain policy responsibilities.