Joel Kaplan has announced that he will step down as Chief Global Affairs Officer at Meta after more than 15 years with the company. He will remain in the role for the next few months to support the transition before taking time off to be with his family and consider his next professional move.

Announcing his decision on LinkedIn, Kaplan described his time at Meta as an extraordinary journey and said he was proud of the team he had helped build and its work. He also thanked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg for bringing him into the company and supporting him throughout his career.

“It has been a true privilege to work with Mark Zuckerberg – 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,” Kaplan wrote.

Kaplan said he plans to spend more time with his wife, Laura Cox Kaplan, attend his daughter’s high school tennis matches and visit his son at college. He has not announced any plans for his next role, saying he intends to take time to consider what comes next.

Kaplan became Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer in January 2025, after serving as Vice President of Global Public Policy from November 2014. He joined Facebook in June 2011 as Vice President for US Public Policy, based in Washington, DC.

Before joining Facebook, Kaplan served as Executive Vice President for Public Policy and External Affairs at Energy Future Holdings from October 2009 to June 2011.

His career also includes several positions in the US government. From April 2006 to January 2009, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy at the White House. Before that, he was Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and also worked as Special Assistant to the President in the Office of the Chief of Staff.

Kaplan’s departure marks the end of a long tenure at Meta, during which he held senior public policy and global affairs positions. He will continue working with the company over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition before stepping away to focus on his family and future plans.