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Who is Joel Kaplan?
Kaplan joined Facebook, now Meta, in 2011 to build the company’s U.S. policy and lobbying team from scratch. Within the company, he became a prominent figure and longtime Republican strategist, playing a key role in shaping Meta’s political relationships and government affairs strategy in Washington.
Sharing some news here on the professional front for me. After more than 15 years at Meta, I’ve decided the time is right for me to move on from my role as Chief Global Affairs Officer. It’s been an extraordinary journey and opportunity, and I’m very proud of the team we built and work we did. I will always be grateful to @finkd and @sherylsandberg for bringing me in all those years ago and supporting me and my work all along the way. It has been a true privilege to work with Mark – one of the great founders, builders, and strategic CEOs in history – as well as his leadership team, and the incredible Global Affairs team we’ve assembled over the years. I’ll be at the company for a few months to help with the transition, and then look forward to catching my breath, making up for lost time with my beautiful wife, catching all of my daughter’s high school tennis matches, and surprising my son with frequent unannounced visits at college. Somewhere in there will also find some time to figure out what I want to do next–will let you know when I do! https://t.co/oRptOs8TRd
— Joel Kaplan (@joel_kaplan) October 20, 2026
In 2025, he was promoted to Chief Global Affairs Officer, succeeding Nick Clegg. Before joining Meta, Kaplan served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy under President George W. Bush from 2006 to 2009. He was also a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and spent four years as an artillery officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.
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In terms of education, he is a Harvard University and Harvard Law School graduate.
Announcing the departure, Kaplan in an X post said, “It has been a true privilege to work with Mark – one of the great founders, builders, and strategic CEOs in history.”
Who will take over Joel Kaplan’s responsibilities at Meta?
According to the Axios report, Kaplan plans to remain at Meta through the US midterm elections, which are scheduled for November 2026, and will continue into 2027 to support the handover.
Amid the transition, Dina Powell McCormick, Meta’s president and vice chairman, will take on external affairs responsibilities in addition to her existing role. She also helps CEO Mark Zuckerberg with strategic priorities and co-leads Meta’s AI infrastructure initiative.
C.J. Mahoney, Meta’s chief legal officer, will also take on policy responsibilities. Brian Rice, former aide to US Secretary of State John Kerry, was promoted earlier in 2026 to lead Meta’s US government affairs. Lastly, Tucker Bounds, former spokesperson for Senator John McCain, was appointed Meta’s global head of communications and public affairs in September 2026.
It showcases that Meta is bringing together executives with different political and government backgrounds to manage its relationships with policymakers.