In a seismic shake-up within the tech realm, Sheryl Sandberg, the dynamic force behind Meta’s success, has sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley with her unexpected departure from the Meta board.
Sheryl Sandberg, the influential force behind Facebook’s digital advertising prowess during her tenure as Meta’s Chief Operating Officer, is embarking on a new journey. Less than two years after bidding adieu to her executive role, Sandberg has announced her departure from Meta’s board, scheduled for May.
In a recent Facebook post, the 54-year-old architect of Facebook’s business model expressed confidence in Meta’s strength and strategic positioning for the future, signaling that the timing is right for her to step away. Despite leaving the board, Sandberg emphasized her continued commitment to the company as an adviser.
Having relinquished her role as Meta’s operations chief in June 2022 after a remarkable 14-year stint, Sandberg, who originally joined Facebook from Google in 2008, remains a pivotal figure in the company’s history. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO and founder, expressed anticipation for “a new chapter together.”
Once the right hand to Zuckerberg, Sandberg weathered numerous controversies during her tenure, including the handling of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the role of the Facebook platform in the 2021 Capitol riot, and persistent concerns about user data mining fueling the platform’s lucrative advertising business, which accounted for 97% of Meta’s $117 billion turnover in 2022.
A Harvard alumna and the author of the influential 2013 feminist manifesto “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead,” Sandberg is not merely a tech executive but a champion for gender equality. Her Lean In Girls charity, spawned from her manifesto, educates teenagers on leadership skills.
As she bids farewell to the Meta board, Sandberg, with a net worth of $1.9 billion, according to Forbes, and a significant history of Meta stock sales, leaves an indelible mark on the company’s trajectory, opening a new chapter in her multifaceted and impactful career.
