Tim Cook says Apple plans to release corporate diversity data

Tim Cook (Sun Valley 2014, Jon Erlichman 001)

As we reported earlier, Tim Cook is in attendance at Allen & Co.’s annual Sun Valley conference in Idaho this week. The conference is a major  gathering for executives in technology and media industries, and has in the past facilitated high profile negotiations.

During a Q&A session this afternoon, Cook was asked if Apple planned to release data on its corporate diversity—something the company has been criticized over many times— at any point. Cook said it will eventually, but right now it’s “more focused on actions.”

Here’s more from Bloomberg:

Apple Inc. (AAPL) Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said the iPhone maker plans to eventually release information about the diversity of its workforce, following technology companies including Google Inc. and Facebook Inc.

“We’ll release the information at some point,” Cook said at the annual Allen & Co. media and technology conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, without giving a timetable for a disclosure. “We are more focused on actions.”

Apple has been panned in recent months for the lack of diversity in its leadership, which currently only features two women—board member Andrea Jung and retail SVP Angela Ahrendts. For the most part, its board and executive teams are dominated by white males.

The company has responded to the criticism by amending its corporate bylaws, in which the company said it promised to consider women and minorities as board candidates. Additionally, it was reported this week that Tim Cook is actively seeking to add new directors.

Apple recently posted a video to its YouTube account called ‘Pride,’ in celebration of diversity and equality.