Sheryl Sandberg, who has been chief operating officer at Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, has announced that she will be stepping down from the role after 14 years.
“When I took this job in 2008, I hoped I would be in this role for five years,” Sandberg wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. “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 will work with Mark Zuckerberg to transition out of the role, and she will officially step down this fall. She will continue to serve on Meta’s board of directors.
Sandberg was fundamental in helping Zuckerberg turn Facebook into the global tech phenomenon that it is today. When she joined Zuckerberg’s team in 2008, she helped convert the platform into an advertising juggernaut and one of the most powerful companies in the tech industry. Now, Meta owns numerous social media platforms and is a leader in the tech industry.
“I am beyond grateful to the thousands of brilliant, dedicated people at Meta with whom I have had the privilege of working over the last 14 years,” Sandberg wrote. “Every day someone does something that stops me in my tracks and reminds me how lucky I am to be surrounded by such remarkable colleagues. This team is filled with exceptionally talented people who have poured their hearts and minds into building products that have had a profound impact on the world.”
Javier Olivan, who currently works as the company’s chief growth officer, will become Meta’s next COO, Zuckerberg announced in a Facebook post of his own. According to Zuckerberg, Olivan will take on a more “traditional” COO role, focusing on helping the company internally and in its business operations.
Zuckerberg explained this change, writing, “Looking forward, I don’t plan to replace Sheryl’s role in our existing structure. I’m not sure that would be possible since she’s a superstar who defined the COO role in her own unique way. But even if it were possible, I think Meta has reached the point where it makes sense for our product and business groups to be more closely integrated, rather than having all the business and operations functions organized separately from our products.”
Sandberg’s full announcement can be found here.
