Two Facebook Hires Focus on Image Issue -- WSJ

By Jeff Horwitz 

This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (April 23, 2019).

Facebook Inc. is bringing on a new top lawyer and a communications boss to handle the mounting regulatory and public-relations issues facing the social-media giant.

The company named Jennifer Newstead as its general counsel on Monday, putting a longtime Washington attorney in charge of its legal affairs at a time when it is increasingly engaged with regulators around the world about how best to police social media.

The company separately named John Pinette, who previously advised Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates among other jobs, to be the new vice president of global communications.

The moves help restock Facebook's leadership in the levels below Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. A number of senior officials and department heads have left Facebook over the past year, an unusual rate of turnover after the executive team was relatively stable for most of its tenure as a public company.

Facebook in October hired former U.K. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to be its global head of policy and communications.

Appointed by President Trump as the State Department's top legal adviser in 2017, Ms. Newstead publicly advocated for and helped oversee the reimposition of sanctions on Iran during her time at State. She is replacing outgoing general counsel Colin Stretch, who announced in July that he intended to leave Facebook at the end of last year.

Mr. Stretch, who led the company's legal response to Russian political interference on Facebook's platform during the 2016 election, stayed on longer amid high-profile questions last year about how the company handled user data.

Before her most recent stint in government, Ms. Newstead was a partner at Davis, Polk & Wardwell LLP, handling cross-border regulatory matters. She also previously served as an attorney in the George W. Bush administration and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. She is credited with writing portions of the Patriot Act, which expanded law enforcement's ability to conduct surveillance in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In the 2006 book "War by Other Means: An Insider's Account of the War on Terror," the former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo described her as "a quick study and effective advocate" who became the "day-to-day manager of the Patriot Act in Congress."

"Jennifer is a seasoned leader whose global perspective and experience will help us fulfill our mission," said Ms. Sandberg in a statement welcoming Ms. Newstead and thanking Mr. Stretch for his nine years at the company. In the same statement, Ms. Newstead said she looked forward to working with regulators and outside experts "as we seek to uphold our responsibilities and shared values."

Until earlier this year, Mr. Pinette worked for Vulcan Inc., which handled the business and philanthropic affairs of deceased Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Previous jobs include managing the communications of Bill Ackman's investment firm, Pershing Square Capital Management; handling Mr. Gates's personal image and communications program; and heading Google's communications in Asia.

Mr. Pinette will succeed Caryn Marooney, who announced in February that she would be leaving Facebook.

"John's deep understanding of the technology industry and his experience leading communications teams will be invaluable to helping us communicate the work we do at Facebook every day," Ms. Sandberg said.

Both of Facebook's new hires will be relocating to the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 23, 2019 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)

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