Tony Blevins, Apple’s Vice President for procurement, left the company following his negative response in a TikTok interview. Content Creator Daniel Mac posted the video earlier this month.
He asked Blevins what he does for a living. In response, the former executive said, “I race cars and play golf and fondle big-breasted women. But I take weekends and major holidays off.”
The clip does not identify Blevins by name and does not mention his position in the tech firm. According to Bloomberg, it prompted an internal investigation causing the Apple executive to get fired.
Why the Apple executive got fired
Photo Credit: www.shacknews.com
A profile from The Wall Street Journal shows Tony Blevins’ significant role in the company. He coordinated with partners and suppliers to obtain lucrative business deals.
For example, Blevins helps save hundreds of millions of dollars on the Apple Park building. Still, the Apple executive’s contributions did not excuse his recent remarks.
Employees felt outraged as they felt he diverted from Apple’s goals of empowering women. He told Bloomberg that he “would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to anyone who was offended by my mistaken attempt at humor.”
However, the publication said that remark was a misquoted line from the 1981 film Arthur. Confirmation regarding Blevins’ dismissal reached CNBC via an unnamed Apple spokesperson, saying, “Tony is leaving Apple.”
Apple tells employees, “we want you to be yourself, but you should also be respectful in posts, tweets, and other online communications.”
Apple and female empowerment
Photo Credit: www.geeksforgeeks.org
The tech firm has an inclusion & Diversity webpage which states, “We’re continuing to build a culture where everybody belongs. That’s what sparks our innovation. And our progress toward a more inclusive workforce and a better world.”
Apple has hired more female employees worldwide, recording an 89% increase as of December 2021. Meanwhile, it hired 87% more female leaders in several countries.
The company also held a product event on March 8, 2022, the date of International Women’s Day. CEO Tim Cook marked the occasion with a tweet:
This #InternationalWomensDay we celebrate the women who are charting the course for a more equitable future, and recognize the rising generation of change-makers who follow in their path.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 8, 2022
Apple featured all its female developers in its M1 Ultra processor promo video. In response, many people applauded the company as it seemed genuine.
On the other hand, alleged former and current employees claimed the company still treats women poorly. They tweeted firsthand experiences of sexism in the workplace under the hashtag #AppleToo.
It was an iteration of the current feminist hashtag #MeToo. Cher Scarlett, a leader of the #AppleToo movement, left the company following alleged retaliation and online harassment.
She tweeted, “Video representation is great, but it’s not enough.” Firing the Apple executive follows its commitment to empowering women, but it must increase its efforts.
