Sheryl Sandberg leaving Meta/Facebook
Billionaire and philanthropist Sheryl Sandberg is leaving her job as Chief Operating Officer of Facebook´s parent company Meta after 14 years as one of Mark Zuckerberg´s closest colleagues. She will, at least for the time being, stay as a member of the company´s board.
Sandberg joined Facebook from Google in 2008 and has been instrumental in building the company to one of the world´s biggest advertising platforms. Meta´s shares fell 4% after her announcement. She will be succeeded by Javier Olivan, currently Meta’s chief growth officer.
“When I took this job in 2008, I hoped I would be in this role for five years. Fourteen years later, it is time for me to write the next chapter of my life. I am not entirely sure what the future will bring – I have learned no one ever is. But I know it will include focusing more on my foundation and philanthropic work, which is more important to me than ever given how critical this moment is for women”, Sandberg wrote on Facebook.
She also indicates days at Facebook have not always been sunny. Sandberg has been central in discussions about how consultancy Cambridge Analytics had access to users´ personal data, targeted advertising and free speech versus aggression on social media.
She is a celebrated role model in discussions about women careers and has written books like Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead – which she described as a “sort of feminist manifesto” .
“The debate around social media has changed beyond recognition since those early days. To say it hasn’t always been easy is an understatement. But it should be hard. The products we make have a huge impact, so we have the responsibility to build them in a way that protects privacy and keeps people safe. Just as I believe wholeheartedly in our mission, our industry, and the overwhelmingly positive power of connecting people, I and the dedicated people of Meta have felt our responsibilities deeply. I know that the extraordinary team at Meta will continue to work tirelessly to rise to these challenges and keep making our company and our community better. I also know that our platforms will continue to be an engine of growth for the businesses around the world that rely on us”, she wrote on Facebook.
Another successful woman role model, Arianna Huffington, founder of Huffington Post, on LinkedIn congratulates Sandberg to starting a new chapter in her life:
”Sheryl, like all of us, is much more than her job. She’s already done so much in her life beyond Facebook. She’s been a champion for women and, with Option B, for people who are going through transitions of their own and rebuilding their lives after loss.”
Sandberg´s husband died in an accident in 2015 and she has recently said that she is planning to get married.
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