Meta's Sheryl Sandberg steps down from board after 12 years

Meta’s former chief operating officer Sherly Sandberg will be stepping down from her position on Meta’s board of directors once her term ends in May 2024, according to a Facebook post by the Sandberg.

"With a heart filled with gratitude and a mind filled with memories, I let the Meta board know that I will not stand for reelection this May," she said. 

She added that after she left her role as chief operating officer, she remained on the board to help ensure a successful transition.

"Under Mark [Zuckerberg's ] leadership, Javi Olivan, Justin Osofsky, Nicola Mendelsohn, and their teams have proven beyond a doubt that the Meta business is strong and well-positioned for the future, so this feels like the right time to step away," she wrote. 

Sandberg added that going forward, she will serve as an advisor to the company, and will be there to help the Meta teams.

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She helmed the role of COO for slightly over 14 years from March 2008, and served as a member of the board for 12 years. Javier Olivan currently operates as the company’s COO.

Sandburg is currently the chairperson for Lean In, a non-profit organisation looking to create more equal and inclusive workplaces. She has also held leading positions in Google and the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

"I will always be grateful to Zuckerberg for believing in me and for his partnership and friendship; he is that truly once-in-a-generation visionary leader and he is equally amazing as a friend who stays by your side through the good times and the bad," she wrote. 

"I will always be grateful to my colleagues and teammates at Meta for all the years of working side by side and all they taught me. And I am particularly grateful to my fellow Meta board members for their lasting friendships, the guidance they provided me for so many years, and their stewardship of products that mean so much to people all over the world."

Meta’s CEO, Zuckerberg, also commented on her post, stating his gratitude for her service and commitment toward the company. He added that he looks forward to this next chapter together with Sandberg.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out for more information.

Sandberg's decision to step down comes at a time when multiple global tech companies are shedding staff. Google recently became the next company after Amazon, Discord and Duolingo to reduce its headcount. The Alphebet-owned company said hundreds of staff in its ad sales team are impacted.  

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a Google spokesperson said every year Google goes through a rigorous process to structure its team to provide the best service to our ads customers.  

"We map customers to the right specialist teams and sales channels to meet their service needs,” the statement reads.  

The spokesperson added a few hundred roles globally are being eliminated as part of the change and impacted employees will be able to apply for open roles on the team or elsewhere at Google.

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